


You Say Your Love is Bona Fide

by SocialDegenerate



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alcohol, Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV, Canon Compliant, Crushes, Developing Relationship, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, Romantic Comedy, one-sided Noctis/Nyx
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-26
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2019-05-28 22:38:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15059330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SocialDegenerate/pseuds/SocialDegenerate
Summary: AKA 'XV Things I Hate About You', AKA the AU no one knew they wanted, AKA Brotherhood as a 1999 teen romantic comedy.Noctis wants to datesomeone, and Prompto wants to be that someone; but Noct can't date until Ignis does. Enter: one Gladiolus Amicitia.“I’m a man of my word, Noct. You can start dating,” Regis said, nodding seriously, “when he gets a partner.”“Me?” Ignis exclaimed, slapping a hand over his mouth at the impolite outburst.





	1. You gotta be cruel to be kind

**Author's Note:**

> Now, that movie did not age well as I discovered last night, so a lot of the minor plot has changed, a bunch of characters are missing, and I took out all the creepy bits. I also sacrificed the 10 Things plot whenever it conflicted with XV characterisation, but it’s still the major inspiration.
> 
> That also means that this is a Shakespeare adaptation and is therefore High Art.
> 
> Aside from the major pairings listed, there is also one-sided Noct/Nyx, but I promise it’s not going anywhere because Nyx is a grown-ass man who isn’t interested in 16yo boys and Noct just has a hero worship crush.

“Hey, Noct?”

“Yeah?” Not shifting his attention from where he was inspecting his lunch for hidden vegetables, Noctis’ voice was distant and unfocused as he answered Prompto’s question.

“Do you ever think about, like, dating?”

Noctis slowly lifted his head, his eyes meeting Prompto’s. Chewing nervously on his bottom lip, Prompto had to fight to sit still, the urge to move and fidget growing stronger by the second. He could do this. He could ask Noctis out.

Noct.

The Crown Prince.

The man in line to be the one hundred and fourteenth King of Lucis.

“Not really,” Noctis said, although he didn’t sound like he entirely meant it. Prompto thought they’d grown close enough as friends for him to be able to read into Noctis’ tones of voice, but a lot of it was still guesswork. “I mean...I guess I’d like to? But I don’t even know if I’m allowed, considering I’m already lined up to marry Luna.”

...Okay, Prompto totally couldn’t do this.

Laughing awkwardly, Prompto scratched the back of his head and tried to play the question off. “I guess that’s fair, we’re not all guaranteed a great wife.”

That made Noctis frown, though, and Prompto’s forced smile dropped when Noctis’ gaze went back down to his food.

“Do you wanna hang out tonight? I’ll let you beat me at whatever game you like, for once.”

“Oh, you’re on.” Prompto was relieved to see that Noctis looked lively again, although the expression didn’t last. “Wait, shit, I have to go straight to meet my dad after school. How about tomorrow?”

“I thought you had training with Gladio tomorrow?” Prompto asked, but Noctis waved it off.

“I’ll talk my way out of it. I’d rather spend my time with you.”

Trying and failing not to go bright red, Prompto immediately pulled his camera in front of his face and started taking photos of Noctis trying to eat, the pair of them laughing and bickering as Noctis tried to push the camera out of his face and Prompto tried to get the least flattering photos possible. Of course, Prompto thought that Noctis _always_ looked good, even with his mouth full of food and bit of rice stuck to his lip.

They were still loudly teasing each other when their teacher walked back into the classroom, Prompto snapping one last photo before turning around in his seat to face the front. He knew he should have been paying attention but he couldn’t resist hiding his camera under the desk, flipping through the photos he’d taken of Noctis over their lunch break.

Despite how blurry some of them were and with others half-obscured by Noctis’ hands covering the lens, Noctis still looked like a beacon of joy in all of them, especially the ones where Prompto had caught him mid-laugh. Those photos were always Prompto’s favourites, because they were nothing like the carefully-composed Prince Noctis that everyone else saw.

The butterflies in Prompto’s stomach made it hard for him to concentrate on math class, especially as he was intensely aware of Noctis sitting right behind him. He didn’t know why it felt like his crush had gotten so much more intense lately, but he didn’t think he’d ever be able to do anything about it.

Noctis was just too far above him, and the last thing he wanted to do was fuck up a perfectly good friendship with his awkwardness.

* * *

“Good afternoon, Noct,” Ignis said as Noctis slid into the car, tossing his bag towards the backseat. “How are you?”

“Tired,” Noctis mumbled, barely remembering to close the door and put on his seat belt before he was leaning his head against the window. “Do I really have to go meet my dad right now?”

“This was the only time he had free, Noct. I’m sorry.”

Trying not to think too hard about how he had to be scheduled in around his dad’s other appointments, Noctis settled in to try and catch at least a few minutes of sleep while Ignis navigated through the city. His brain wouldn’t stop bothering him, though, Prompto’s question from earlier still bugging him.

“Have you ever dated, Specs?”

“Excuse me?”

“Have you ever dated,” Noctis drawled out slower, emphasising each word.

“I- no,” Ignis said, and Noctis cracked open his eyes to see him looking rather flustered.

“Why not?” Even if Ignis wasn’t exactly his type, Noctis knew he was a good-looking guy with a good personality to match. Even if Noctis had heard people (wrongly, obviously) calling Ignis cold or even prickly, surely _some_ people were falling over themselves to go out with him, able to see him for the caring person he truly was.

“It’s not,” Ignis started, pausing to adjust his glasses and quickly glancing at Noctis. “It’s not that easy to find a man who is interested in other men, _and_ who is willing to come second to my duty. I don’t have a lot of free time, so it’s easier to...not.”

“You know you don’t have to be with me every second of the day, right?” Noctis said, suddenly feeling guilty over how much of Ignis’ time he took up. “I can feed myself if you want a night off to go out, and there are other people who can drive me places. Like, uh, Nyx, maybe?”

Forcing away his thoughts about the handsome Glaive, Noctis sat up and watched Ignis watch the road, the car eventually pulling to a stop at a red light. Ignis took that chance to turn towards Noctis, his face set in a serious expression. “I appreciate that, Noct, but I do these things for you because I _enjoy_ them, and I care about you.”

“Oh,” Noctis said, the words making him smile. “I care about you too, Specs. That’s why you should get to have your own life.”

“Unfortunately, we can’t always get what we want.” Ignis was smiling faintly but his eyes looked sad, although he turned back to the road before Noctis could pry any further. “What brought this on all of a sudden, anyway?”

“Hm? Oh, just something I was talking about with Prompto today. Hey, do you know if I’m actually allowed to date?”

“Noct,” Ignis said, and the way he trailed off made the answer obvious before he even continued. “I don’t think so. I’m sorry.”

“Oh,” Noctis said, not sure why irritation was bubbling in his gut. “I know I’ve gotta marry Luna, but it’s not anytime soon. Why can’t I have some fun until I get married off to someone I didn’t even get a choice about?”

He liked Luna. As far as arranged marriages went, she was probably the best he could have hoped for. But much like he knew of Ignis, Noctis’ tastes had never been towards women, even the ones as amazing as Luna was.

And now he was being told that he couldn’t even _try_ being with anyone else?

“Noctis, the rules aren’t there to hurt you. Your father wants you to be happy-”

“Then why? Why can’t I do what I want?”

“I don’t know, Noct. I’m sorry.” Ignis looked so defeated that Noctis’ anger fizzled out, replaced instead by shame that he’d taken his irritation out on someone who didn’t deserve it. “Maybe you can talk to your father about it when you see him.”

Leaning back against the window, Noctis closed his eyes and let the rest of the ride go by in silence. He knew he should have apologised to Ignis, but he couldn’t get the words out and before too long they were pulling into the garage underneath the Citadel. A few of the Glaive were milling about under there, discussing the latest round of assignments, and they fell into varying degrees of proper salutes when they saw Noctis and Ignis approaching.

Scanning their faces and not recognising most of them, Noctis was beginning to feel disappointed when one finally stood out from the rest, a playful grin on his face.

“Highness,” Nyx said, somehow managing to make the word sound far less formal than when anyone else used it. “Scientia.”

“Ulric,” Ignis nodded back while Noctis stammered a little, tongue-tied in front of the older, good-looking man who always treated him more like a person than a prince. It wasn’t like Noctis thought it would ever happen, but on the off chance he _was_ allowed to date…

“Your father is waiting,” Ignis murmured, dragging Noctis out of his thoughts and putting a hand on Noctis’ elbow to keep him moving. Noctis was distracted the whole time that the private elevator took to whisk them up to his dad’s floor, his thoughts racing between Nyx’s handsome smile and his impending marriage to a woman and not being allowed to date.

His already-poor mood fractured more as they were let into the empty meeting lounge, his dad apparently not even able to be on time for a meeting with his own son. Objectively, Noctis knew that it wasn’t his dad’s fault. He hadn’t _asked_ to be king, nor to have his wife die during childbirth. But that didn’t stop it from hurting when Noctis was left alone, time and time again.

By the time Regis entered the room, leaning heavily on his cane, Noctis had stewed in his angry thoughts for long enough to be feeling completely combative. Ignis obviously sensed something was wrong and carried Noctis through the early pleasantries, but there was nothing he could do to save the situation when Regis turned towards Noctis and Noctis’ eyes narrowed dangerously.

“Dad,” Noctis said, his voice low. “I want to date.”

Regis took a few moments to process that, obviously wondering where the sudden outburst had come from. “You’re not allowed to do that, Noct.”

“Why not? I’ll still marry Luna, but I thought you wanted me to live a normal life until then?” Crossing his arms over his chest, Noctis ignored Ignis’ quiet whispers for him to let it go.

“You’re 16. Plenty of people don’t date at your age,” Regis said, the perfect diplomat. “The rules have always been-”

“I don’t give a fuck about the rules,” Noctis snarled. “The rules are stupid.”

“You’re acting like a child,” Ignis said quietly, although he shut his mouth when Noctis shot him a blazing glare.

“The rules are antiquated, yes,” Regis said, sounding like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. It probably _was,_ but Noctis didn’t have it in him to care right then and there. “But they’re there to protect you. I lived a perfectly fulfilling life without dating at your age.”

“Wow, one person. Great sample size,” Noctis said, rolling his eyes. His anger was still burning away in his gut, his father’s objections only making it worse.

“Well, how about you, Ignis? Do you have a partner?”

“No, Your Majesty,” Ignis said. He looked pale, and Noctis might have felt bad about that if he’d been able to feel anything beyond his own anger.

“Do you wish to?”

Looking at Regis, then Noctis, then back to Regis, Ignis swallowed hard. “No, Your Majesty. My life is perfectly enjoyable without that extra worry.”

“I know it feels like you’re the only one missing out, Noctis,” Regis said softly. “But I promise you, you’re not. This is the best way in the long run.”

“But he _could_ date if he wanted to. It’s not my fault everyone thinks he’s an emotionless robot.” Noctis immediately knew it was the wrong thing to say, especially to the person whom Regis considered a second son, and he wasn’t surprised when his dad frowned at him.

“That’s uncalled for, Noctis.”

“That was out of line, Specs. I’m sorry,” Noctis said, meaning it. Meeting Ignis’ eyes, the hurt he saw there turned his anger to sour guilt, and he exhaled hard. “I’m sorry to you too, dad. It’s just...normal people get to date and experiment and have fun, but I have to marry someone I’m not even attracted to.”

“I know it’s hard, but the people around you are proof that dating isn’t the most important thing in life.” Regis smiled softly when Ignis patted Noctis’ hand, obviously accepting the apology. Silence took over for a few moments, Regis obviously deep in thought, and Noctis swallowed hard around the guilt and shame that felt like they were trying to choke him. “Still, I’ll consider changing the rule.”

“Really?” Noctis said warily, suspicious of the way his dad was looking at him.

“I’m a man of my word, Noct. You can start dating,” Regis said, nodding seriously, “when he gets a partner.”

“ _Me?”_ Ignis exclaimed, slapping a hand over his mouth at the impolite outburst.

“Of course. If you find that your life isn’t complete without romance, then there’s no way I could expect my son to live that way.”

“Hey, Ignis-”

“No,” Ignis interrupted, already knowing what Noctis was going to ask.

“Pick someone, you don’t even have to _like_ him,” Noctis whined, but that only made Ignis’ frown deepen.

“I won’t play with someone else’s emotions like that.” Groaning, Noctis glared at Ignis and then at Regis.

“This is just as bad as the old rule, and you know it.”

“Is it?” Regis asked innocently, although his eyes were sad when Noctis stood up and stomped from the room. Noctis could hear Ignis apologising frantically and hurrying after him, but he steadfastly ignored Ignis’ presence even as he returned to the car and was driven to his apartment.

* * *

"That didn’t sound like it went particularly well,” Clarus said, stepping through the door opposite the one Noctis and Ignis had left through.

“Teenagers,” Regis sighed, standing up. His leg buckled underneath him but Clarus was there to catch him, lowering him back to the seat and kneeling in front of his king.

“I remember being that age, and it wasn’t like that old rule ever stopped us,” Clarus pointed out. Taking both of Regis’ palms in his own, he rubbing his thumbs over the back of Regis’ hands, feeling the marks and imperfections left behind by the effects of premature aging.

Letting his shield soothe him, Regis allowed himself himself feel the full weight of his exhaustion. “Don’t you remember how much it hurt when we were torn apart? It was only luck that brought us back together in the end.”

“You can’t protect him from everything, Reggie.”

“I know,” Regis sighed, his heart aching like it had ever since he’d learned what was ahead for his only child. Pulling his hands from Clarus’, he shifted forward in his seat and wrapped his arms around Clarus’ shoulders, holding his first and last love close. “I can try, though.”


	2. You can't see what it means to me

“So,” Noctis said as soon as the lunch bell rang, pulling out the food Ignis had packed for him. He’d apologised for his behaviour the previous day and Ignis had forgiven him, but that didn’t mean that Noctis was going to let it go. “I had a thought.”

“Did it hurt?” Prompto asked, catching the piece of carrot that Noctis flicked at him and popping it in his mouth. “Sorry, what’s up?”

“I asked my dad about the dating thing, and he said I’m allowed to date if Specs gets a boyfriend.”

“That’s...kinda weird,” Prompto said, Noctis making a noise of agreement and nodding. “Is Ignis even interested in dating?”

Noctis shrugged, chewing through a mouthful of meat. “He says he isn’t, but I dunno how true that is.”

“So your brilliant plan is…?” Prompto asked, taking his own pre-packaged chicken salad out of his bag. It wasn’t quite as appetising as Ignis’ homemade food, but it was easy when he was running late.

“We find a guy so perfect for Specs that he can’t help but go out with him.” Noctis sounded so sure that it would work that Prompto couldn’t help but laugh, wondering if this was what happened when someone grew up without being told ‘no’.

He loved Noctis, but some of his ideas were...different.

“And if it doesn’t work?”

“Then we try harder.”

Raising his eyebrows, Prompto shovelled some food in his mouth so that he could think while he chewed. “Okay, so, you got someone in mind?”

“Well, it’s gotta be someone who’s into guys, first of all,” Noct said thoughtfully. “And someone who can keep up with Iggy’s brain.”

“Someone who won’t be jealous that he’s always with you,” Prompto pointed out. He could tell the exact moment that the pieces clicked together in Noctis’ mind, and he shrank back a little at the dangerously gleeful grin that broke out across Noctis’ face.

“Prompto, best bro of mine, I have the  _ greatest  _ idea.”

* * *

Prompto wasn’t exactly sure how  _ he’d _ ended up being the one who had to approach Gladio first, considering that Gladio was  _ Noctis’  _ shield, but he’d found himself sitting through an entire training session only to have Noctis shoot him a pointed look before he’d disappeared into the locker room.

“Sooo…” Prompto said, hopping up from the floor and cautiously approaching Gladio. “What’s up, big guy?”

“...Nothing much,” Gladio said, scrubbing a hand over his shaved head. “What’s up with you?”

Swallowing hard, Prompto tried his best to keep his body language casual. “I was wondering if you’re seeing anyone right now?”

Gladio’s eyebrows lifted and he turned his full attention to Prompto, his shoulders slouching so that he didn’t seem quite so big. “Sorry, Prom, but you’re not really my type. You’re a great kid, but-”

“No, no, nononono,” Prompto babbled, waving his hands in front of him. “It’s not for me, it’s for Ignis!”

“Ignis?” Gladio asked dubiously, crossing his arms over his chest. “Explain.”

For a split second, Prompto considered talking around the truth, but the intensity of Gladio’s stare had him blurting everything out on the spot. “King Regis says that Noctis can date when Ignis gets a boyfriend, and we kind of thought you’d be perfect for him?”

“So you want me to date Ignis so that Noct can get his dick wet?” Gladio said. He sounded utterly unconvinced, and Prompto sighed.

“I want Noct to be happy,” he said, fidgeting with his hands. “He wants to date, so…”

Gladio was silent for a long moment, and Prompto drew back further into himself. He knew this was a stupid idea, so why had he even bothered?

“You really like him, don’t you.”

“Huh?” Prompto said, his face shooting up so he could meet Gladio’s eyes. “Noct? No, I…”

“You’re not subtle,” Gladio laughed softly, clapping Prompto on the shoulder. 

“Yeah, I like him,” Prompto admitted out loud for the first time after glancing at the locker room to make sure that Noctis was still away. It felt almost freeing to admit, especially with the way that Gladio was grinning at him. It wasn’t mocking, and although Prompto was expecting Gladio to tell him that it was never going to happen, it never came.

“I’d love to help you, kid, but Ignis isn’t interested in me. I know he’s not a heinous bitch like people think, but he doesn’t think I’m anything special.” He made it sound so matter-of-fact that Prompto couldn’t even argue, and he stammered for a moment until the sound of Noctis slamming back out of the locker room echoed through the gym. 

“How’d it go?” He called out, and Prompto shrugged at him.

“No good.”

“Gladio,” Noctis whined as he walked over, lightly punching his shield on the arm. “C’mon.”

“He’s not into me, Noct.”

“Everyone’s into you,” Noctis scoffed. “Prompto, are you into Gladio?”

“Um,” Prompto said, but thankfully Gladio winked at him and steered the conversation away from Prompto’s tastes.

“Why are you so into dating all of a sudden, anyway? Won’t that cut into your precious sleeping time?”

“Like you’d understand, you’ve got a new date every week.” Prompto thought that Noctis’ pout was the cutest thing he’d ever seen, and he could feel Gladio watching him as he watched Noctis.

“I’m not the Crown Prince,” Gladio said, stepping forward to hold Noctis by the shoulders. “I know it sucks to feel like you’re alone, but you’re  _ not.  _ You have us, and we care about you more than some random kid from your school ever will.”

Prompto could sense that Noctis was up to something, but even then he wasn’t prepared for Noctis to pull out the full force of his puppy dog eyes, complete with a hint of shimmery wetness that Prompto didn’t think was at all real. “Gladio…”

It was obvious that even Gladio couldn’t stand up under that onslaught, and Prompto watched in shock as the mountain of a man crumbled under Noctis’ sad expression. 

“Look,” he said heavily, leaning away from Noctis. “I can’t promise it’ll work, but I’ll  _ try.” _

“That’s all I’m asking,” Noctis said, his wobbling eyes replaced by a gleeful expression in a moment. “Let me know how it goes, okay?”

Grabbing the sleeve of Prompto’s shirt, Noctis dragged him towards the exit, Prompto managing to wave loosely at Gladio before they left the room. 

Noctis was practically glowing as they met Ignis out the front and hopped into the car, and Prompto could barely look away from him the whole time. Things were beginning to get beyond desperate, but at least he managed to push it aside long enough for a night of video games and Ignis’ delicious food.

* * *

Ignis was running late.

Well, he wasn’t late  _ yet,  _ but he was running late to be early, and that wasn’t right. As such, he almost ignored the call of his name from behind him, but the thudding footsteps running up the hall behind him made it seem too urgent to avoid.

“Shit, Iggy, move any faster and you’ll be sprinting,” Gladio said as he caught up to Ignis, grinning widely. “What’s the rush?”

“Too many things to do, I’m afraid,” Ignis said, barely resisting the urge to check his watch. “Is there a problem?”

“No, no, just figured I’d say hi.” His hands in his pockets, Gladio’s obvious disregard for Ignis’ time made him frown, an irritated headache building up behind his eyes. He usually liked Gladio’s company, but not when he had a million and one other things to do.

“Hi, Gladio.” Actually checking his watch this time, Ignis made to walk off. A strong hand closing around his bicep kept him in place, though, and he whirled around to pin Gladio with a heavy stare. “Can I  _ help _ you?”

“Man, you really aren’t afraid of me, are you?”

Looking Gladio up and down, Ignis knew exactly why people usually would be afraid of Gladio, but Ignis had known him since he was a child. In what possible universe would he be  _ scared  _ of Gladio? “Afraid of you? Why would I be afraid of you?”

“Well, most people are,” Gladio said with a wry grin, and Ignis blinked slowly as he realised that it had been a stupid joke. Usually he didn’t mind Gladio’s sense of humour, but he was stressed out and running behind.

“Well, I’m not,” Ignis snapped, harsher than he’d meant to be.

“Well, maybe you’re not afraid of me, but I’m sure you’ve thought about me naked.” Gladio gave Ignis a big, exaggerated wink, and Ignis’ fist clenched by his side.

“Let go of me, Gladiolus.” It was a dumb, harmless joke, the kind of thing Gladio said to everyone, but Ignis really wasn’t in any state to appreciate it.

Gladio seemed taken aback, and he let go of Ignis like he’d been burned. “Sorry, Iggy. You looked really stressed so I thought you might like to see a friendly face.”

Taking a long, deep breath, Ignis summoned up every bit of inner calm he had to centre himself before he opened his mouth again. “And I appreciate that, but I really am running late.”

“Alright, but hey, do you maybe want to get dinner tonight?” 

“I’m going to be working through the night, I think,” Ignis said, shaking his head. “This really isn’t a good time for me.”

“Well how about-”

“I have to go, Gladio,” Ignis said, this time stepping out of arm’s reach before Gladio could react. “I’ll speak to you later.”

Turning on his heel and walking away, Ignis made sure to put a decent amount of distance between himself and Gladio before ducking into a storage closet, leaning against a shelf of paper and closing his eyes.

Gladio was- infuriating.

Annoying.

_ Perfect. _

And required by his bloodline to marry a woman and reproduce.

Ignis had spent so long cultivating a detached personality, positioning himself as the kind of person who neither wanted nor needed an ‘other half’. Inappropriate, unrequited feelings only made it hard for him to do his work properly, and he was determined not to let himself get attached to Gladio and have to watch him marry someone else.

Of course, from the way his heart pounded whenever Gladio was around, he was fairly sure that he’d failed step one.

But that didn’t mean he couldn’t ignore it and go about his own business. There would be other men, men who weren’t required to carry on a two-thousand-year-old bloodline and probably die violently and far too young.

His next deep breath was shaky, and Ignis had to fight to pull himself together. Much as he had his own duty, Gladio had his, and he welcomed it with open arms. A relationship between the two of them would be too complicated, and Ignis wasn’t even sure if he had the emotional ability to open himself up after so many years of ignoring his own desires.

His phone alarm buzzing silently in his pocket told Ignis that he really was going to be late if he didn’t pull himself together, and he shoved all of his emotions back into the box that they’d started to burst out of. He could worry about those when he wasn’t expected to be across the Citadel in ten minutes.

* * *

“Didn’t work.”

Noctis groaned, knocking into Gladio with his shoulder. “Dude, your game is  _ weak.” _

“Like you’d know,” Gladio said, catching Noctis in a headlock and messing up his hair. “Listen, your dad knew  _ exactly _ what he was doing when he said you couldn’t date until Ignis did. That guy is hard to crack.”

“We both knew that already,” Noctis said, rolling his eyes. If Ignis had been  _ easy  _ then there wouldn’t have been a problem in the first place, and then Noctis could have been out on a nice date with...someone...

“I’m telling you, he’s not into me, so you’d better be prepared to stay dateless for a while. I’ll do it too if it makes you feel any better.”

It was a tempting offer, but Noctis shook his head. “No reason for us all to be miserable. We’ve gotta come up with a bigger, better plan.”

“Keep me out of it,” Gladio said, letting Noctis go and gently pushing him back. “The poor guy’s gonna have a heart attack from stress if I bother him too much, I reckon.”

“One more try, Gladio. That’s all I’m asking.”

Clapping his hand over Noctis’ eyes so that he wouldn’t fall for that trick again, Gladio groaned long and loud. “Fine, you annoying little shit. But rejection stings and I don’t want this to fuck up my friendship with Iggy, so you’re going to have to do some research this time. Find me something that he can’t say no to, and that won’t make his life any harder.”

“How come I’m the one doing all the work here?” Noctis whined, not that it got him any sympathy.

“Did you forget that this was your dumb idea in the first place? Listen, Noct, dating  _ sucks.  _ You’re better off hanging out at home, playing video games with Prom and eating food that is  _ way _ better than the overpriced crap you’d find at any restaurant you’d take a date to.”

“Why is everyone so determined to tell me what I should feel?” Noctis asked grumpily, knocking Gladio’s hand away from his face. “Don’t you think I might want to try these things for myself? Like you did?”

“You’re not a normal kid, Noct, and you can’t expect to be doing what everyone else is all the time. You should be grateful that you even got to go to a normal school.” Sitting on the gym floor, Gladio beckoned for Noctis to join him.

Noctis followed after a long moment, slumping down and sitting cross-legged across from Gladio. “This whole thing is stupid. I know I’m going to get married to Luna, but that’s not for a few years yet- and it’s not like I’m going to get anyone pregnant.”

“I-...You know what, I  _ do _ agree with you, but what your dad says, goes. He doesn’t do this stuff to hurt you, and you know it.”

“That’s what Specs said,” Noctis groaned, flopping backwards and staring up at the ceiling. “Are you sure you two aren’t working together on this?”

“It’s all you’d deserve for scheming with me about his life, but no, I’m not.”

Noctis heard Gladio moving around and then he was lying next to him, his hands pillowed behind his head and one knee bent up with his other foot sitting on top. “You’re really into this idea, aren’t you.”

“I want to see what else is out there until I get married,” Noctis said, keeping his eyes to the ceiling. “And I think it’d be good for Ignis to have something other than me in his life.”

“That’s...probably fair,” Gladio said, and they both stared at the ceiling until Gladio sat up and nudged Noctis with his leg. “C’mon, let’s get a little training in and go home.”

“You want to come over for dinner? Prompto’s already coming, and it might be a good chance to get you back into Iggy’s good books.” Taking Gladio’s hand when it was offered to him, Noctis let himself be pulled to his feet.

“Sounds good, but I’m not asking him out again until you’ve figured out how to make it actually work.”

“Deal,” Noctis said, nodding firmly and wandering over to the training swords, ideas already beginning to creep through his brain.


	3. You looked so beautiful there

“History is so dumb,” Noctis said as he flipped his textbook closed. “Why do we have so much homework on a Saturday anyway?”

“Well it’s not _my_ ancestors who ran around doing all kinds of dumb shit, Noctis Lucis Caelum,” Prompto grinned. He narrowly avoided being kicked under the table, although it quickly turned into a free-for-all with several books and pieces of paper ending up on the floor.

“You come into _my_ house, badmouth _my_ ancestors,” Noctis said, baring his teeth. Prompto cackled as he scrambled out of his seat, but Noctis was faster (when he wanted to be) and tackled him onto the couch before he could get too far away. “Say sorry to Great-Great-Great-Great Grandpa Somnus.”

“Think you need a few more greats in there,” Prompto managed to say as Noctis started tickling him.

“Apologise to my grandpa,” Noctis laughed again, his knee planted across Prompto’s legs to keep him in place.

If he hadn’t been so busy trying to wriggle out from Noctis’ fingers, Prompto might have been uncomfortably aware of how close they were, Prompto sprawled out on the couch with Noctis on top of him. As it was, though, he was more interested in escaping than thinking about how close his crush was.

“Okay, okay,” Prompto gasped breathlessly, his chest heaving in relief when Noctis let up. “I’m sorry that there were a hundred and fourteen of you nerds.”

“Hey!” Noctis exclaimed, but Prompto had already wriggled away from him and rolled back to his feet. Shaking his fist at Prompto, Noctis flopped dramatically forward onto the couch, turning his head so that he could still talk. “For real though, this is super boring.”

“At least you can claim ‘prince shit’ and get extensions, us normal people have to get things in on time.”

“Yeahhh, Specs told the school to stop accepting that excuse unless it comes directly from him. Hey, actually, speaking of prince shit, there’s a big gala coming up next weekend to honour some Glaives who didn’t totally fuck up a mission.”

“Wow, Noct,” Prompto said, but he laughed anyway, dropping to sit on the floor with his back against the couch. “Sounds boring.”

“Well, it would have been,” Noctis grinned, “but you’re coming with me.”

“Shit, no.”

“Too late, got you a suit and everything. It’s in my closet.” Shrugging casually, Noctis lifted his head. “Wouldn’t want all that money to go to waste, would you?”

“I- But- No,” Prompto groaned.

Noctis cheered, flopping his hand out to land in Prompto’s hair. “Knew you’d see it my way.”

Of course, if Gladio couldn’t stand up to Noctis’ whims, there was no way Prompto would be able to. Without the immediate worry of Noctis tickling him, Prompto was intensely aware of the way Noctis’ hand felt in his hair, and it took everything he had not to lean into it. “How did you even get a suit for me? You don’t know what size I am.”

“Specs took care of it,” Noctis said like that explained everything, and Prompto supposed it did.

“Can I try it on?”

“Go wild,” Noctis said. “It’s hanging in the suit bag on the left side of my closet.”

Prompto had long since gotten over being awkward about being in Noctis’ bedroom alone, although he would forever be jealous of the fact that Noctis’ closet was bigger than his entire bedroom. At least there was only one suit bag on the left side, so Prompto didn’t have to dig through however many suits Noctis actually had.

He wasn’t entirely sure how a properly-tailored suit was supposed to fit, but the one Ignis had gotten for him felt pretty damn good. Looking in the full-length mirror on the back of the closet door, Prompto’s breath caught at how slick he looked, despite the fact that his hair was a mess and his skin was still flushed from Noctis’ tickling.

Walking back into the living room, he stood there and waited as Noctis looked at him, blinking slowly as he sat up.

“You look...really good, bro,” Noctis said after a long moment. “Specs did great.”

“Is it good enough to be seen at a fancy event, though?” Prompto still wasn’t entirely comfortable in Noctis’ world, although he was _trying._

Nodding solemnly, Noctis laid a hand over his heart. “You’d better practice your dancing, because you’re gonna get a _lot_ of invitations.”

Flushing bright red, Prompto fiddled with his cuffs and stared at the ground. “Do you really think so?”

“I do,” Noctis said immediately, sounding so sure that Prompto couldn’t help but believe him. Even if there was only one person Prompto wanted to dance with, it was still nice to hear that other people might at least be _interested_ in him. “And you know what else?”

“...What?” Prompto asked, trying not to let hope flare in his chest. Still, Noctis had said he looked good, so…

“This’ll be the perfect opportunity to get Specs and Gladio together,” Noctis said. He didn’t seem to notice when Prompto deflated, even though it only lasted a moment until Prompto could hide it.

“Got a good plan this time?” Prompto asked, taking off the suit jacket and gingerly hanging it over the back of a chair. He considered taking the shirt off as well, afraid of sweating on it and ruining it, but some days he just didn’t feel confident enough to go shirtless in front of Noctis. Still, he loosened the top few buttons, wondering if he imagined the way that Noctis’ eyes followed the movements of his fingers.

“This one is foolproof,” Noctis declared, that utterly suspicious grin on his face again. “We’re going to break into his office and figure out what Gladio can do to completely steal Specs’ heart.”

“Pretty sure that’s illegal, buddy.”

“Not for the Crown Prince,” Noctis said cheerfully. “C’mon, get changed. Specs is having a day off today so we’ll be in the clear.”

It was a stupid idea and Prompto knew it, but he couldn’t say no to Noctis.

* * *

It was probably too easy for Noctis to get the spare key to Ignis’ office, claiming that he was dropping some stuff off for his advisor. If anyone thought it was weird that the prince was playing errand boy, they didn’t question it, and Noctis grinned triumphantly as he let himself and Prompto into the office.

“Alrighty, let’s see here…”

Starting with the desk at one end of the room, Noctis began sorting through the neat piles of stuff on top, trying not to cause too much of a mess. Prompto seemed far less willing to rifle through Ignis’ belongings, but Noctis wasn’t going to hold that against him.

“He goes to the same coffee shop every morning, so that might help,” Noctis mumbled to himself, looking at a pile of receipts. “Large coffee, no milk, two sugars.”

Pulling out his phone, he took a photo of the top receipt to show Gladio later. The rest wasn’t entirely helpful, mostly reports mixed with a few tabloid magazines. Noctis hadn’t known that Ignis read those, but he supposed it was good to learn something new every day. He took a photo of those anyway.

“I think this is his calendar?” Prompto spoke up, pointing at the wall. Noctis headed straight over, thanking the Astrals that Ignis colour-coded everything, and he zeroed in on what Ignis had written for the next day.

“It’s the big market tomorrow,” Noctis said, turning to grin at Prompto. “He’ll be there all day, stocking up for the next week.”

“So…?” Prompto asked.

Tapping his finger on the relevant square, Noctis visualised all the pieces of his plan coming together. “Specs will be there, he’ll be in great mood because he loves haggling over stupid shit, and he’ll agree to accompany Gladio to the gala. They’ll get together, fall in love, and then I can start dating.”

“What if they’re not, like, compatible?” Prompto asked, obviously not sharing Noctis’ certainty.

“Have you _met_ those two? They’re perfect for each other. I can’t imagine anyone who could make Iggy happier.”

“If you say so,” Prompto said, and Noctis walked over to sling an arm around his neck.

“Would you trust me for once? This is going to go fine, I promise you.”

“You’re taking the blame when Ignis gets mad,” Prompto said, although he didn’t try to get away from Noctis.

“If he gets mad.”

“When,” Prompto said again and Noctis laughed, letting the subject drop.

“C’mon, let’s find Gladio and then go get some burgers.”

As he’d expected, Gladio was hanging out in the Crownsguard offices, going over some training schedules. He barely glanced up when Noctis wandered in with Prompto in tow, the latter gawking around at a part of the Citadel he’d never seen.

“No civilians down here,” Gladio said, not unkindly. Prompto started to mumble an apology when Noctis interrupted him, winding his arm around Prompto’s.

“If I say Prompto’s allowed, he’s allowed.”

“Can’t argue with that,” Gladio said. Pushing his chair back from the table, he relaxed back and looked up at the other two. “What’s up? Shouldn’t you two be doing something productive?”

“This _is_ productive,” Noctis said, taking his phone out of his pocket. “I found some stuff Specs likes.”

“Oh?”

“First up, he goes to this cafe every morning.” Holding out the phone to let Gladio see the picture on his screen, Noctis pointed at the order. “Drinks his coffee black, two sugars.”

“Only in the mornings, Noct. No sugar later in the day or he gets jumpy,” Gladio said.

“And you know that how?”

“He’s my friend, jackass. I know his coffee order.”

“Wouldn’t the caffeine make him jumpy either way?” Prompto piped up, and Gladio laughed loudly.

“Yeah, that’s what I say, but I guess his tolerance is super high these days.”

Scowling, Noctis deleted the photo and gestured to the next one that popped up. “He had a bunch of tabloids, so they could be important.”

“He’s keeping an eye on what they’re saying about you.”

“You don’t know that.”

Gladio shot Noctis an entirely unimpressed look. “I _do_ know that.”

“Well what about this one?” Noctis said, zooming in on a particular one that had a shirtless actor he vaguely recognised on the cover. “Did he have to get that one in particular? Maybe he likes pretty guys.”

Gladio’s eyebrows slowly rose up, his look becoming incredulous. “Are you telling me I’m not a pretty guy?”

“He’s very pretty!” Prompto cut in, smacking Noctis across the chest. “This is a gorgeous guy.”

“Well _yeah,_ but...” Noctis said, although he frowned when Gladio burst out laughing.

“I’m fucking with you, Noct.”

“Asshole,” Noctis grumbled, deleting that picture as well. “Anyway, tomorrow he’s gonna be at the market for most of the day, and that’ll be your best chance to ask him to go with you to the gala.”

“That’s...not the stupidest idea you’ve ever had,” Gladio conceded. “I’ll try it.”

“Really?” Noctis and Prompto said at the same time, earning themselves another laugh.

“Sure, why not. How did you even get those pictures, anyway?”

“Got the spare key to his office,” Noctis said smugly, although the expression dropped when Gladio held his hand out.

“Give me that.” He wiggled his fingers when Noctis didn’t immediately comply, stretching even closer.

“Ugh, fine,” Noctis said, tossing the key away from Gladio’s hand. He caught it anyway, tucking it into his pocket where it was safe from royals with no sense of proper boundaries, and then waved Noctis and Prompto off.

“Go home, boys. Some of us have actual work to do.”

“Don’t forget about tomorrow,” Noctis called as he walked out.

Gladio scoffed and turned back to his book, his voice dry as he replied, “Yes, Your Highness.”

* * *

Armed with two coffees- one of them large, no milk, two sugars- and his natural charm, Gladio felt a little bit like he was going into a gunfight with a pocket knife. It was an unnaturally early hour, even for him, but he was well aware that Ignis liked to be among the first visitors to the stalls.

Thankfully it was quiet enough that he wasn’t hard to spot, all six feet of him moving gracefully through the sparse crowd. He was dressed more casually than usual, his shirt clinging to his chest in a way that made Gladio’s mouth go dry, and he made an awe-inspiring sight.

This whole thing was stupid, _beyond_ stupid, but it wasn’t like Noctis was making him do something that he didn’t want to do anyway. He’d watched Ignis grow from a geeky kid into a painfully gorgeous man, and Gladio would be lying if he said he wasn’t interested.

But like he’d already pointed out, Ignis didn’t seem to be interested in return.

Gladio liked a challenge, though, and Ignis had never actually turned him down. One more shot couldn’t hurt, and so he sneaked up behind Ignis as he was comparing the freshness of two melons.

“Excuse me, could you tell me where the free range pumpkins are?”

Whirling around, Ignis blinked up at Gladio and burst into laughter, his glasses sliding down his nose. “As opposed to the caged pumpkins, I suppose?”

“Something like that. Here, I know you get here earlier than any of the cafes open.” Handing Ignis one of the cups he was holding, Gladio smiled softly at the open gratitude on Ignis’ face.

Taking a long drink, Ignis sighed as the warm coffee settled in his stomach. “Thank you, Gladio. But what are you doing here?”

“Figured I’d come check the market out, and I knew you’d be here. Do you mind showing me around a bit?”

“Of course not,” Ignis smiled and then he was off, pointing out good stalls and bad stalls and the ones with too-high prices that could be argued down to low ones. Gladio listened to every word but barely processed any of the information, too focused on the contentment in Ignis’ voice and the spark in his eyes as he navigated a space he obviously liked.

“You must think I’m new here,” Ignis said to a shopkeeper, carefully inspecting the spices displayed across his table. “There’s no way this is worth that much.”

“I assure you, sir, it’s the highest quality.”

“I highly doubt that. I’ll give you five hundred.”

“Three thousand. Nothing less.”

Gladio stepped back when Ignis rolled up his sleeves, obviously prepared for an extended negotiation. He’d seen Ignis at work in the meeting room, of course, but that required at least a _little_ polite diplomacy. Here he was under no such constraints, and he seemed to be utterly enjoying himself as he haggled even a small amount off the price.

By the time they reached the end of the market they were both weighed down with bags, Gladio mostly helping to carry the things Ignis had bought for himself and Noctis.

“Iggy?” Gladio finally asked as they were piling the bags into Ignis’ car. Ignis made a noise to show he was listening, but he didn’t lean out from the back seat.

“So, about this gala coming up next weekend…”

“You mean the bane of my current existence?” Ignis said dryly, making Gladio laugh.

“Yeah, that one.” Choosing his words carefully, Gladio tried to make sure he couldn’t possibly be misunderstood. “I was wondering if you’d like to be my date?”

Ignis froze, slowly unfolding himself from the car and meeting Gladio’s eyes. “You want _me_ to be your date?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Gladio asked. “I had fun with you today.”

“So did I, but…” Trailing off, Ignis bit his lip.

“Iggy, please. I know you don’t like me that much, but maybe if you give me a chance…”

“You think I don’t like you?” His eyes wide, Ignis stepped closer to Gladio. “It’s not that, Gladio. I like you a lot, but there are other circumstances.”

“What’s so important that you can’t spend one night with me?” Gladio asked, although he immediately had to backpedal on the phrasing. “...Not like that.”

“Well, I...It’s…” Obviously hesitating, Ignis looked around and then nodded firmly, obviously coming to a decision. “I can’t spend the whole evening with you, but I’d like to arrive with you.”

“Oh, me either, but I’ll take what I can get at this point.” Grinning so wide it almost hurt, Gladio stuffed his hands into his pockets to avoid doing something stupid like grabbing Ignis’ face and kissing him. “I have to go, but I’ll see you during the week and we can work out the details?”

“I look forward to it,” Ignis smiled, and it was so hard for Gladio to tear himself away from the pure sunshine contained in that expression.

“Have a good day, Iggy.”

“You too,” Ignis replied, and the look on his face stuck with Gladio all day.


	4. Just be good to me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is "underage" (in some countries) drinking and brief vomiting here, if that's not your thing. I also apologise in advance for the lack of table dancing but, like, it was kind of hard to make that work in this particular scenario.

“I hear my son is going to the gala with Ignis,” Clarus said, turning his head to look at Regis. He felt bad about leaving his kids with Jared, but he hadn’t lied when he’d said that he was needed at the Citadel with Regis.

He just hadn’t mentioned that the situation involved Regis’ unfairly comfortable bed.

“Honestly, I probably should have seen that coming,” Regis said, running a hand over his beard. “Can’t say I’m too surprised.”

“So you don’t think this is Noctis trying to get around your dating rule?”

Regis laughed, rolling over towards Clarus. “It’s _definitely_ my darling child trying to get around the rules, but I also trust your son’s judgement to not do stupid things because Noctis wants him to. I think he and Ignis will be good for each other.”

“What about Noctis?”

Regis frowned at that, letting out a sigh. “I made the rule and if he gets around it, that’s my own fault. I suppose all we can do now is wait, and hope he handles things better than I ever did.”

“Well, that’s not _all_ we can do,” Clarus pointed out, determined to wipe the sad expression off his partner’s face. “I can think of a few more things.”

“Oh, can you now?” Regis said, lighting up. “You’d better fill me in on your thoughts then, Clarus.”

* * *

Prompto couldn’t stop fidgeting as he stood in front of Noctis’ mirror, fixing and adjusting every part of his outfit. This was the first major event he’d ever been to with Noctis, and he wondered whether he was about to throw up.

“You ready?” Noctis called, and Prompto checked his reflection one more time.

“Yeah!” He called back. Walking into the kitchen, he nearly tripped over his own feet when he saw Noctis sitting there in his royal finery. He’d seen pictures but he’d never seen the whole outfit in person, and he hadn’t been prepared for the entire effect.

Suddenly Prompto felt inadequate, regardless of how good his suit looked.

But then Noctis was standing up and walking over, circling around Prompto to take in his whole look. “You clean up well, Prom.”

“...You, too,” Prompto mumbled, and Noctis smiled at him.

“I’ll warn you now, this won’t be the most exciting experience of your life, but the food’s always good at least.” Noctis’ phone beeped on the coffee table and he walked off to pick it up, reading the message on his screen. “Looks like our ride’s here.”

“Iggy?” Prompto asked, but Noctis shook his head.

“Nah, he’s meeting us there- with Gladio,” Noctis said, wiggling his eyebrows. “A Crownsguard’s bringing the car around.”

Prompto didn’t have any more time to stew in his insecurities as Noctis gave him another appreciative look and then turned to collect his belongings, heading for the front door. All Prompto could do was trail along behind him, his eyes focused on the way that Noctis’ pants perfectly hugged his legs and ass while his coat was folded over his arm.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Gladio’s chest was almost bursting with pride as he entered the ballroom, standing strong and tall in his ceremonial robes with the most beautiful person in the room beside him.

Glancing around the room, he wasn’t altogether surprised to see that neither of the Lucis Caelums had arrived yet, although the rooms were quickly filling with other people. Reaching out to take Ignis’ hand, he was left grasping at air when Ignis took a step away from him.

“Iggy?” Gladio asked in concern, but if Ignis heard him he didn’t care to answer.

Gladio wasn’t going to let Ignis freeze him out, though. “C’mon, let’s go smile pretty at the right people and then we can dance or something.”

“If you think you can keep up with me and not embarrass yourself,” Ignis said, and Gladio was relieved to see a smile on his face. Ignis had been awfully quiet on the ride over but Gladio had tried not to worry about it, because he wasn’t exactly feeling confident either.

First dates, with someone he actually _really liked,_ were nerve wracking.

The council members were first to be greeted, Gladio and Ignis going through the motions of pretending they cared the slightest bit. At least Ignis started to seem more comfortable as they followed the usual script, and he didn’t move away when Gladio shifted a little too close to be just friendly.

“One more, then we can go find something fun to do,” Gladio said with a wink. Ignis gave him a _look_ that stirred something in his gut, and Gladio was hard-pressed not to drag Ignis into the nearest bathroom. But that was probably skipping a few steps, and so instead he guided Ignis over to where he’d last seen the remaining important guests.

They’d apparently moved on, though, and before Gladio could locate them a man he vaguely recognised stood directly in his way.

“Good evening,” Ignis said politely, Gladio copying the words. The man barely spared Ignis a glance, his focus entirely on Gladio, and Gladio frowned at the disrespect.

“Gladiolus, have you met my daughter?” Gesturing behind him to an embarrassed-looking young lady, the man waited expectantly as Gladio nodded politely to her.

“I’ll leave you to it,” Ignis murmured, and Gladio didn’t have a chance to react as Ignis melted back into the crowd. The daughter was smiling shyly at him now, and Gladio couldn’t see a way out without offending someone or hurting her.

Biting back the urge to brush her off, Gladio made the right noises in the right places as he surveyed the room over her, hoping to spot Ignis again and make his escape.

* * *

Although Noctis knew that he had duties and stuff to take care of, the first thing he did when he entered the ballroom was to look around for Ignis and Gladio. Gladio was easy to spot, his size putting him above most of the room, but Noctis frowned when he saw that Gladio was talking to a woman and Ignis was nowhere to be found.

Glancing behind to make sure that Prompto was still with him, Noctis tried to look casual as he wandered over, patting Gladio’s arm and smiling at the woman. He vaguely recognised her, but she couldn’t have been _that_ important.

“Pardon me, but I need to borrow my shield for a moment. Gladio?” Walking away without giving any chance for argument, Noctis led his small crew to a discreet corner and planted his hands on his hips.

“Gladio, what the shit?”

“Gods, I thought I’d never get away from that one,” Gladio said, his posture relaxing. “Thanks for the save.”

“Where’s Specs? You’re supposed to be here with him, right?” Peering around Gladio and Prompto, Noctis tried and failed to locate his advisor.

“I am!” Gladio protested, scratching awkwardly at his neck. “Or...I was. We were together but then he started acting kinda weird, and then some old guy grabbed me and tried to marry me off to his daughter, and…”

“Okay, well, we’re going to find him and you’re going to stay together until my dad gets here and sees you two.” Nodding firmly, Noctis starts surveying the room again, only to pause when he noticed something unusual.

Nyx Ulric, for once not surrounded by a dozen other Glaives.

“New plan,” Noctis said. Clapping Prompto and Gladio on their shoulders, he started to edge away. “You two find Specs. I’m gonna go...ask if anyone’s seen him. Yeah.”

Nervously adjusting his perfectly-fitted formal wear, Noctis’ heart was pounding as he walked up behind Nyx, the man’s dress uniform looking positively sinful on his body.

“Not on duty tonight?” Pleased by the fact that his voice didn’t shake (much), he smiled widely at Nyx and got a smaller one in return.

“Highness, fancy meeting you here. Nah, I’m stuck representing everyone who didn’t want to come, funnily enough most of the Glaive aren’t real fond of playing nice with these rich assholes.”

“Ah,” was all Noctis could say. He’d overheard some of the things the Glaives said when they thought no one else was listening, although he couldn’t say he exactly _understood_ it. In any case, neither his dad nor Ignis had been particularly forthcoming with a deeper explanation.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to throw that one at you. Where’s your usual entourage?” Beckoning to Noctis, Nyx took a few steps over to the nearest wall, leaning against it and crossing his arms over his chest. Noctis hesitantly copied him, hoping that Nyx’s little laugh wasn’t mocking him.

“They’re...around,” Noctis said, looking over to where he’d left Gladio and Prompto. They weren’t there anymore, and he wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.

“Not like you can lose a guy like Amicitia for long,” Nyx scoffed, glancing down at Noctis with a little smirk. His breath catching in his throat, Noctis tried and failed to come up with something witty to say, but his brain wasn’t being helpful and an awkward silence settled around them.

Shuffling his feet, Noctis wondered if he should go for it. Throw caution to the wind, seize the day, all that nonsense that people always went on about. Glancing up, he saw that Nyx was looking out over the ballroom, and he took a few deep breaths to prepare himself.

“There you are,” a woman said, and Noctis’ heart sank into his stomach. “I thought you’d gotten bored and left while I was waiting for the bathroom. All that stolen wealth and they can’t even put in a decent amount of toilets.”

“Helxine,” Nyx said sharply, making a gesture that Noctis couldn’t quite see. Looking over, Noctis saw a woman in the Glaive dress uniform, her eyes widening when she spotted Noctis peering past Nyx.

“Prince Noctis!” She said, and Noctis was feeling too bitter to even dredge up an expression, _any_ expression for her. “I’m awfully sorry, but I’m going to steal my date back from you.”

Standing up straight, Nyx took the woman’s hand and grinned at Noctis, giving a mock salute. “Later, Highness. Don’t get yourself into trouble without your handlers around to bail you out.”

His heart cracking as he watched Nyx walk off with someone who was everything he wasn’t- tall, confident, beautiful, _a woman-_ Noct was fairly sure he only heard their parting conversation because he was so focused on them.

He really wished he hadn’t.

“Well _that_ was awkward. Nice kid, but I’m not babysitting when I’m off the clock.”

“How soon can we split?”

“That eager to get back to my place, are you?”

Helxine laughed and Noctis turned away, feeling like he wanted to throw up and punch something and cry, all at once.

* * *

Ignis had _known_ that it was going to be a bad idea. Every single part of him had known that letting himself have even one date with Gladio was asking for pain, and he should never have agreed to it. The fact that he’d been too nervous to eat all day should have been a massive red flag.

Entering that ballroom and feeling the eyes of every unmarried woman turning towards his date had been too much for Ignis to handle, and he’d had to take a literal and figurative step back from the situation.

How could he have let himself believe that he could stand by Gladio’s side, when Gladio’s future wife was probably in the room somewhere?

And so, when the first of what would probably be many potential partners had stepped up to Gladio, Ignis hadn’t bothered to try and fight for his claim. Instead he’d watched as Gladio was led away from him, and then turned away to find something productive to do.

He hadn’t found anything productive, but he _had_ found a waiter with a tray of champagne, and Ignis had barely hesitated in grabbing one. He’d been a little more cautious about actually drinking it, irrationally worried that someone would pop up and yell at him for drinking before he turned twenty, but when nothing had happened after the first sip he downed the glass.

And then a second one for good measure.

The third glass he kept in his hand as he circled the room, searching for something to do. Noctis and Prompto were still nowhere to be found, but the events director was looking as stressed as ever and when Ignis offered his assistance she seemed more than happy to accept it. At least keeping busy meant that he wasn’t thinking about all the single ladies that Gladio was surely meeting.

When the immediate crises were dealt with, the director pulled a flask out of her purse and drank deeply, holding it out to Ignis afterwards. It burned all the way down and Ignis knew he shouldn’t have been drinking on an empty stomach, but the light buzz he was getting felt better than remembering his own stupidity in thinking that he could go to a public event as Gladio’s date.

Nothing was worth getting his hopes up only to get torn down when Gladio decided it was time to further his family’s line, and it would be worse if people actually _knew_ he’d been dumped.

Wishing the director luck and drifting off to circle the room for a while, Ignis wasn’t quite sure how many times he switched his empty champagne glass for a new one. The pleasant warmth that got stronger with every drink made his worries seem less important, and he smiled widely as he spotted a few friendly faces off to one side.

* * *

After he and Gladio split up, going in different directions to try and find Ignis, Prompto couldn’t say that he put too much effort into actually searching. He was more interested in finding out where Noctis had disappeared to, having lost sight of him when he’d gone off into the crowd.

Heading out into one of the garden areas, Prompto frowned as he looked around, Noctis not among the people scattered about. Upon a hunch, though, he looked up- and saw a lone figure sitting on the edge of a building, his legs dangling over the edge.

There was no obvious way up, and Prompto felt confident enough to take a guess and start waving wildly, uncaring of what the people around him thought. A slight crackling was the sole warning he got when Noctis appeared beside him in a shower of blue sparks.

“Hey, N-” was all Prompto managed, a hand closing around his arm as the world momentarily faded into blue and movement and-

Oh, he was going to throw up.

“Breathe,” Noctis said, rubbing his hand up and down Prompto’s back. It was a near thing but he managed to force down his nausea, clinging a little weakly to Noctis’ shoulder.

“Sorry, Prom. I needed to...get away from it all for a few minutes.” Sitting back on the edge of the building, Noctis beckoned for Prompto to join him. Prompto was less than eager about heights but he felt safe enough with Noctis beside him, and he watched the people below wander around.

“Have you ever liked someone who barely knows you exist?”

Blinking, Prompto turned to stare at Noctis and bit back his initial urge to laugh in Noctis’ face. “Is there anyone who doesn’t know you exist? You’re, like, pretty important, dude.”

“Not like that,” Noctis said. Looking closer, Prompto saw how tired and sad he looked, and he gently knocked his shoulder into Noctis’.

“Yeah, it happens.”

“How do you deal with it?”

“I...kinda haven’t?” Prompto said, laughing nervously. “I guess it stops hurting eventually.”

“Anyone who doesn’t see you, doesn’t deserve you,” Noctis said after a long moment. This time Prompto couldn’t hold back a bitter laugh, caught between sadness that Noctis apparently liked someone else and relief that it wasn’t going to happen.

“Thanks, Noct. Who’s not noticing you, anyway?” He didn’t really want to know, but at the same time his sick curiosity had gotten the best of him.

Noctis sighed, obviously hesitating. “It’s dumb.”

“Crushes usually are.”

“I...It’s Nyx. Y’know, the Glaive.”

“I don’t know who that is.”

“That’s probably fair. It doesn’t matter,” Noctis said, and although his smile was still sad he looked better than he had earlier. “This whole dating thing was stupid anyway.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Prompto said. They lapsed into silence until there was a sudden flurry of activity beneath them.

“I s’pose my dad’s here,” Noctis said, running a hand through his hair and visibly centring himself. “Ready to warp back down?”

“Is there another option?” Prompto said, already holding his stomach.

“Nope!”

Groaning, Prompto reached out and inhaled sharply when Noctis took his hand, the feeling _almost_ enough to make the horrifying sensation of warping worth it. When both of his feet were back on solid ground it was hard to let go of Noctis, but he had to.

“I should go and see what he wants me to do,” Noctis said, although he seemed reluctant. “Thanks for hearing me out.”

“Anytime.”

“And there’s someone out there who’ll realise you’re as great as I think you are.” Noctis walked off, leaving Prompto speechless and with his heart pounding even through his hurt.

* * *

“ _There_ you are,” someone said, and Gladio turned to find Nyx Ulric and Helxine Naris standing there.

“Here I am,” he replied, lifting an eyebrow. “Is there a problem?”

“Well, your gay friend is over there proposing to my lesbian friend, and he’s kinda swaying like he’s been going a bit too hard, so…”

“Fucking Bahamut above,” Gladio groaned, peering over the crowd in the direction Nyx was gesturing. “Thanks, man.”

“No worries. We’re gonna split, so make sure Crowe doesn’t put your buddy on his ass.” Slapping Gladio on the back, Nyx disappeared into the crowd with Helxine at his side, her arm casually slung over his shoulder. Gladio hadn’t known that anything was going on between them, but he hoped that they were doing better than he was with his own date.

Who was apparently off trying to hook up with someone who he wasn’t interested in, and who would never be interested in him.

“I’m just _saying,”_ Gladio heard Ignis say as he rushed over, ready to intercept Ignis before he could say anything he’d really forget. “If everyone else is getting married for no good reason, we could too.”

Luckily Crowe seemed more amused than anything, her shoulders shaking with barely-repressed laughter when she noticed Gladio barrelling towards them.

“Hey, Scientia?” She said. “Don’t look now, but here comes your knight to sweep you off your feet.”

“Gladio?” Ignis said, despite the fact that there was no way he could see Gladio coming up behind him. That set Crowe off for good, and she howled with laughter as Gladio skidded up to them.

“You’ve got it bad, buddy.” Taking Ignis by the shoulders and turning him around, Crowe shook her head with a smile on her face.

“No,” Ignis said, and Gladio frowned.

“Iggy? Let’s go get some air, okay?”

“No, you have to find your wife and get married and have baby shields and-“

“Please take him,” Crowe announced as she nudged Ignis towards Gladio, taking a step back and waving.

“Thanks, Altius.” Wrapping a big arm around Ignis and not letting go, even as Ignis suddenly became a master escape artist and almost wriggled away, Gladio steered Ignis through the ballroom, into one of the less-populated side rooms, and then out into the garden. There were a few people milling about, but at least they had a decent amount of privacy.

“You need water,” Gladio said, easing Ignis down onto a bench. Apparently over his escape attempts, Ignis went down like a sack of bricks, leaning heavily into Gladio and making it awfully hard for him to sit down.

“I need a lot of things,” Ignis mumbled, making Gladio laugh. Running his hand through Ignis’ hair, Gladio knew he couldn’t make himself get up and find some water, not when Ignis was almost falling asleep on his shoulder. It was a moment he didn’t think he’d ever get to experience again, and he wasn’t about to waste it.

“I think we’re missing King Regis’ speech,” Gladio said eventually, peering in through the windows and not seeing much at all. Ignis’ answering groan didn’t give much insight as to his opinions on that, so Gladio didn’t bother trying to move him again. He wasn’t sure how long they had been sitting like that when Prompto walked up to them, his shoulders slumped and his hands in his pockets.

“Gladio?” Prompto said, his voice low and sad. “You don’t have to worry about it. The whole thing with…”

Flapping his hand in Ignis’ direction, who seemed to be completely out of it, Prompto shrugged. “I knew he was too good for me, but he’s only got eyes for Nyx. The Glaive. It’s not going to happen, though, so I guess it’s off.”

“Noct does?” Gladio asked, thinking back and raising his eyebrows. “Huh.”

“Yeah, but the guy doesn’t like Noct because apparently not even princes get everything they want.”

“I’d be kind of worried if Nyx _was_ into Noct, he’s practically ancient,” Gladio said, but Prompto didn’t react to the humour in his voice. “Look, Prompto…”

The kid looked so shattered that Gladio would have given him a hug if he’d had a free arm. As it was, he settled for giving him a heartfelt look. “You really like Noct, yeah?”

“Does it matter? I’m some weird nobody, and he’s the fucking Crown Prince. I don’t deserve-“

“Prompto,” Gladio interrupted. “If you like Noct, go for it. Don’t let anyone ever make you feel like you don’t deserve what you want.”

Prompto opened his mouth, closed it, and then straightened his shoulders. Gladio smiled at the renewed determination in his eyes, but nearly jolted Ignis off his shoulder when Prompto wrapped him in a hug.

“You’re right,” Prompto said. “I’m gonna...I’m gonna try.”

Gladio could only watch as Prompto bounded off, a new sense of confidence lifting him up. If he had to pick who would be better for Noctis, between Prompto and Nyx, he knew who he’d choose in a heartbeat.

“You’re a good friend,” Ignis mumbled. Looking down, Gladio thought he still seemed half asleep.

“You heard that, huh?”

“You’re so caring.” Ignis went silent for long enough that Gladio thought he was out again, but then he continued. “That’s one of the things I like about you.”

“You like me?” Gladio asked, the words coming out less like a joke and more earnest than he’d intended.

“Course I do. But you have to get married.”

“Why are you so caught up on marriage tonight?” Gladio asked, utterly confused. It wasn’t a topic Ignis usually talked about, but apparently it was on his mind.

Ignis hummed quietly, rubbing his cheek against Gladio’s shoulder. “This is nice. You’re nice. I wish I was a rich lady so you’d marry me.”

“ _What-”_

“We could have three kids and a...a cat. Or a dog. Do you like dogs? I like dogs.”

“Hold on, go back,” Gladio said, wondering if he was starting to imagine things.

“Back where? Back to your bed?” His head lifting off Gladio’s shoulder, Ignis grinned and probably intended to wink but only achieved a weird-looking blink. “I’d love to go back to-”

And then he leaned over and threw up, all over Gladio’s polished dress shoes.

* * *

Luckily his dad’s speech was short and sweet, and perhaps he noticed that Noctis wasn’t feeling his best when he told Noctis he was free to go.

He considered trying to track down Ignis and Gladio, but the person he really wanted to see was Prompto. Prompto, who looked at him like he _mattered,_ and not because he happened to be the prince.

Suddenly Noctis wondered why he’d cared so much about dating. It was a dumb idea that got him hurt, and maybe his dad had been right all along.

Making his way through the crowd and avoiding anyone who looked like they were going to try to talk to him, Noctis nearly sobbed in relief when he saw Prompto standing awkwardly by the door.

“Hey,” he said, making Prompto whirl around. He looked uncomfortable in his suit but he still made a striking figure, his blond hair setting him apart from most of the crowd. Noctis felt settled from his presence and his posture relaxed, knowing that things would be okay with his best friend by his side.

“That was a...good speech,” Prompto said, and Noctis cackled.

“You can say it was boring.”

“Shiva, it was _so_ boring.”

Lightly punching Prompto on the arm, Noctis jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “You wanna blow this place and go play video games?”

“I thought you’d never ask.”

It wasn’t hard for Noctis to track down a car for them, the ride quiet as they were driven through the night. Noctis chalked Prompto’s silence up to him being tired, although he kept glancing at Noctis with a strange fire in his eyes. It wasn’t the weirdest thing he’d ever seen from Prompto, though, so he didn’t bother worrying about it.

Groaning loudly as he walked through his front door, Noctis haphazardly threw his jacket over the back of the couch. Prompto was a little more careful with his own, hesitating to walk further into the apartment.

“You okay?” Noctis asked, waving Prompto over to join him on the couch. Prompto was slow to take the invitation, and Noctis ended up leaning forward to pull him down. “Seriously, what’s up?”

“I…” Prompto looked away but didn’t pull his arm from Noctis’ grip. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

Loosening his tie, Prompto’s feet were tapping a quick rhythm against the floor. “I know you said you like that guy, but…”

“But?” Noctis prompted when Prompto went quiet, barely aware that his hand was still clasped around Prompto’s arm.

“I really like you, Noct.”

“I...oh,” Noctis said, staring wide-eyed at Prompto with his heart pounding in his chest. “You...Me…”

“It’s not important. You don’t have to feel anything...I just wanted you to know. That someone likes you.” A wry smile on his face, Prompto glanced at Noctis. “And Gladio told me I should go for it.”

“You’re never allowed to tell him this, but he might have been right,” Noctis said, swallowing hard. He’d done speeches in front of the entire country, he’d gone through the worst of puberty in front of cameras and the internet, and yet he’d never felt as nervous as he did in that moment.

“If he and Ignis can- if they work their shit out, will you ask me on a date?”

Prompto blinked at him, looking like he didn’t quite believe what Noctis was saying. “You don’t have to- spare my feelings. If anyone’s gonna reject me, I’d be okay with it being the prince.”

“Are you interested in the prince, or are you interested in _me?”_

“It’s you, Noct. It’s...It’s always been you.”

Sliding his hand down Prompto’s arm, Noctis tangled their fingers together and smiled, squeezing Prompto’s hand. “I’d like to try, then.”

He had never considered that _Prompto_ might be into him, but he had to admit that it wasn’t an unwelcome thought. Prompto made him feel good, feel _happy,_ and he certainly wasn’t hard to look at.

In fact, in his tailored pants, slightly rumpled dress shirt and loose tie, he looked positively beautiful.

Slightly taken aback at suddenly seeing his best friend in a new light, Noctis decided that if Prompto could be brave, he could as well. “Hey, Prompto?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I kiss you?”

Prompto’s frantic, wide-eyed nod made Noctis laugh, and although he wasn’t entirely sure what he was doing, he put his free hand on Prompto’s cheek and leaned in.

Their noses bumped and Prompto didn’t seem to know what to do with the hand that Noctis wasn’t holding, but Prompto’s lips were soft and they kissed until Noctis started feeling lightheaded and had to pull away.

“I...wow,” Noctis said, and he was glad to see that Prompto was panting as hard as he was.

“That was…” Prompto said, searching for words. “Thank you.”

Laughing hysterically, his chest feeling lighter than it perhaps ever had, Noctis sat back and squeezed Prompto’s hand again. “So, you wanna play a video game now?”

“Don’t think a kiss will make me go easy on you,” Prompto said, his cheeks pink and his smile shy.

“How about two kisses?” Noctis asked, and Prompto looked up at him through his lashes.

“One way to find out.”

* * *

“Again, I’m sorry about your shoes,” Ignis muttered, his head leaning against the window of Gladio’s car as they pulled up in front of Ignis’ building.

“They’re only shoes,” Gladio said, putting the car into park and turning to Ignis. “All that matters is that you’re feeling okay.”

“My pride hurts, but physically I should be fine.” He did feel better after purging some of the alcohol. At least Gladio had pushed a bottle of water on him during the ride, even if he was sure that the next morning wasn’t going to be pretty.

Gladio taking care of him wasn’t helping with his feelings, which had become a rolling mess of selfish want and the painful inevitability of Gladio marrying someone else. If anything, the night should have proven to him that he couldn’t stand between Gladio and the people who could actually be with him; but it was hard to remember that when Gladio was being so kind.

“Thank you for helping me,” Ignis said, and he couldn’t think of a reason not to kiss Gladio when he was smiling so invitingly. The alcohol made it seem like such a good idea, like his worries were silly little trifles.

Leaning in, Ignis was focused on Gladio’s beautiful lips, ready to press his own to them when suddenly Gladio turned. The stubbled cheek in front of his lips wasn’t what he’d been after, and Ignis felt like he’d been punched in the gut.

“We should do this some other time, when you’re not so drunk.”

The rejection stung even more than the shame had, especially after Gladio had pestered him into the date in the first place. If he’d been in a better state, he would have seen the logic behind what Gladio was saying, but it was hard to think rationally through the remaining alcohol and the hurt.

Biting back a million stinging insults, Ignis fumbled for the door handle instead and practically threw himself out onto the footpath, ignoring Gladio’s protests.

How _dare_ he, after he’d spent so much time forcing Ignis to ignore his worries about being left behind. If Gladio hadn’t actually been into him, then what had been the point of asking him to the gala? If his aim had been humiliation, then he’d certainly achieved it.

Ignis was fuming all the way up to his apartment, his mind replaying the numerous embarrassments he’d suffered over the course of the evening, and he barely managed to undress before he fell face-first onto his bed.

“Stupid fucking Gladio,” he mumbled into his quilt, his heart feeling heavy as he passed out. If Gladio thought that he was going to take this lightly, then he had another thing coming.


	5. I love you baby, and if it's quite alright, I need you baby

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know a lot of people keep saying that they haven't seen 10 Things and you don't need to in order to enjoy this fic, but you _gotta_ check out [the best scene in the whole film](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6baRWhZ9sE) either before or after reading this chapter. It might help shed some light on what happens here lolololol

“So,” Prompto said, sitting next to Gladio on one of the benches that lined the walls of the gym. “How did your night go?”

Gladio’s look was full of pure displeasure as he stared into Prompto’s eyes, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “I don’t know, why don’t you tell me?”

The pair of them looked over to where Ignis was training with Noctis, the former nearly destroying a training dummy as he tore into it with his daggers.

“Oh-kay,” Prompto said with a grimace. “What even _happened?”_

“He got drunk, proposed to a lesbian, vomited on my shoes and then got mad when I wouldn’t let him kiss me, but he was so drunk that I didn’t want to take advantage of him.” Gladio said it all matter-of-factory, leaving Prompto gawking at him.

“Sounds like I missed a busy night.”

“Yeah, I heard you two disappeared early,” Gladio said, wincing when a loud _bang_ came from Ignis’ direction. “What kind of trouble did you get into?”

Prompto briefly considered not kissing and telling but there were only a few people he could tell anyway, and he’d never been that good at keeping his mouth shut. “We went back to his place to play video games and...he kissed me.”

“Wait, for real?” Gladio asked, Prompto grinning and nodding. “I knew you could do it, kid.”

“Thanks for the pep talk, big guy. It helped a lot, y’know?”

“That tends to be the point,” Gladio said, but he knocked playfully into Prompto’s shoulder. “You’re welcome, though.”

“So, he’s still pissed,” Noctis said when he wandered over, lifting an eyebrow at how close Prompto and Gladio were sitting.

“We noticed,” Gladio said. The three of them watched silently as Ignis walked past without so much as a quick glance in their direction, disappearing into the locker room and letting the door slam behind him.

“If it makes you feel any better, I think he’s more annoyed with himself than with you.” Plopping down next to Prompto, Noctis glanced at Gladio and then shrugged, leaning in to kiss Prompto’s cheek. Prompto went bright, flaming red and Gladio laughed, looking at the pair with sad fondness.

“Well, I’m glad someone’s love life is on track, even if you two are gonna have to be careful with that shit.”

“Why do you think I waited until Iggy left? I’m not an idiot,” Noctis said, rolling his eyes and kissing Prompto’s cheek again. “Besides, we haven’t technically been on a date so I’m not doing anything wrong.”

“I doubt that excuse would hold up in front of the king, and Iggy would be chill about it. You know he’s not like that.”

“I _know_ he’s massively pissed off, and I’m not gonna risk it.” As if on cue, Ignis walked out of the locker room with his bag over his shoulder, head held high. This time he paused in front of them, although it was clear that he only had eyes for Noctis.

“I’ll drive you home, Noct.”

“Take the rest of the day off, Gladio can drive us.” Waving Ignis away, Noctis tried his best to look innocent. Prompto didn’t think it worked.

“Noct,” Ignis started, sounding exasperated.

“It’s fine, Iggy. You can trust me with him.” Ignis looked at Gladio for the first time since he’d entered the gym, and his expression was perfectly blank.

“Hm,” was all Ignis said and he turned back to Noctis, a hand on his hip. “No takeaway food, and you have school tomorrow so no late night.”

“Yes, Ignis,” Noctis chimed and although Ignis obviously didn’t believe it, he turned and left the gym.

“That could have gone worse,” Prompto said, itching to break the awkward silence. Noctis laughed but Gladio didn’t, and when Prompto _really_ looked at him he noticed how upset Gladio actually looked. “You’re really taking this hard, aren’t you?”

“Like I said, I’m glad _someone’s_ love life is actually on track.” Tracing his fingers over the tattoo running down his arm, pretending to look for any damage to the ink, Gladio seemed completely unwilling to meet Prompto’s eyes.

It wasn’t exactly characteristic behaviour from Gladio, and when the truth hit Prompto he gasped loudly. “You _like_ him!”

“Who, Ignis? Of course I like him, he’s a good guy.”

“No, you like-like him!” Reaching behind him to slap at Noctis’ arm, Prompto’s voice was steadily getting louder. “Noct! Gladio like-likes Iggy! Did you know about this?”

“Tell the whole Citadel, why don’t you,” Gladio grumbled. He still wouldn’t make eye contact, though, which confirmed Prompto’s suspicion.

“I knew you agreed to Noct’s stupid plan too easily!”

“You didn’t think it was so stupid when we were making out on my couch,” Noctis said. Prompto made a few half-hearted sounds in opposition but quickly gave up, knowing that he wasn’t going to win.

“It _was_ a stupid plan and now I’ve lost my chance with the guy I’ve been interested in for years, but it’s not your fault he made a drunken idiot of himself. C’mon, let’s get you two home. _Separately.”_

“But Gladio-”

“I’ll let the kissing slide, but your dad is still technically my boss and I can’t go against his rules by letting you two spend the night together without supervision.”

“We weren’t gonna _do_ anything,” Noctis grumbled, although he squirmed a little in his seat. Prompto was suddenly feeling a little overheated himself, and it was almost a relief when Gladio stood up and beckoned for the two of them to follow him.

The ride was mostly quiet, Gladio driving to Prompto’s house first. Before he got out, Prompto leaned between the front seats and patted Gladio on the shoulder, momentarily getting distracted by the feeling of his muscles and squeezing a bit.

“Prompto.”

“Sorry!” Prompto yelped, pulling his hand back. “I was gonna say, good luck with Iggy, I doubt he can stay mad at you for long.”

“Clearly you’ve never seen him hold a grudge, then,” Noctis piped up from the back. Prompto kicked at him and missed, but didn’t bother pulling his attention away from Gladio.

“Maybe you should embarrass yourself in front of him? Make it even?”

“Thank you for the relationship advice,” Gladio said dryly. “Now get out.”

“Alright, alright,” Prompto said, although he took the time to peck Noctis on the lips while leaving the car.

Waving to them as they drove off, Prompto couldn’t help but feel bad about Gladio getting dragged into their nonsense, especially as he’d obviously been hurt by it. He’d have to talk to Noctis about it at school, figure out if there was something they could do to make it better.

_He_ was happy, but he didn’t want it to be at the expense of a friend.

* * *

“Scientia!” Cor barked, making Ignis stand up even straighter. Sometimes he felt like Cor was stricter with him due to him having known Ignis since he was a child, but it was hard to tell with how terse Cor could be at the best of times.

“Sir,” Ignis responded, intensely aware of the other Crownsguard members watching him.

“Where’s Amicitia?”

Fighting to keep the flustered expression off his face at the mention of Gladio, Ignis shook his head. “I don’t know, sir.”

He could barely even _look_ at Gladio, much less think about him or talk to him. The memories of his behaviour at the gala were beyond mortifying, and there was no way Gladio could possibly respect him any longer. He’d completely embarrassed himself in front of someone who was always effortlessly cool and calm, because of _course_ he could never have anything nice for himself.

In order to save himself the misery of Gladio rejecting him- _again,_ not that he blamed Gladio for the first one now that he’d sobered up- Ignis decided to take matters into his own hands and limit their contact outside of work. It would have been impossible for him to completely avoid Gladio, and it hurt to know that he wouldn’t be able to spend as much time with his friend, but it had to be done.

For both of their sakes.

“Well, his father was the one who requested that I train you outside today, so he better not be skipping-”

The sound of microphone feedback cut Cor off, the speakers dotted around the open courtyard for outdoor events crackling to life. A brief wave of surprise passed through the assembled Crownsguard, but Cor hushed them all and started looked around for the source of the disturbance.

“Is that-” a woman near Ignis gasped, and he looked where she was pointing to see a figure leaning out of a second storey window.

A very _familiar_ figure, with a microphone clutched in his hand.

“You’re just too good to be true,” Gladio _sang_ over the loudspeakers, and Ignis felt a little weak in the knees.

“Oh no,” he whispered, but he didn’t think anyone heard him, not with the way they were all chattering excitedly.

Gladio’s voice kept coming through the speakers, singing loudly and confidently if not _perfectly_ , and there was no doubt that he had the attention of every single person in the vicinity.

Climbing through the window, Gladio didn’t miss a beat as he grabbed the pole for the closest speaker, slowly sliding down to the ground while still singing, “At long last love has arrived, and I thank gods I’m alive.”

“I didn’t know Amicitia could sing,” someone said in a low voice, making the person next to him giggle.

“I don’t think he can.”

The pair cracked up laughing but trailed off when Ignis whipped around to glare at them, going back to the live spectacle in time to see Gladio landing on one of the high planters that surrounded the courtyard.

“Gladiolus Amicitia,” Cor growled, taking off in Gladio’s direction. Gladio obviously saw him but still didn’t even pause, a wide grin on his face as he spread his free arm out wide.

“You’re just too good to be true, can’t take my eyes off of you.”

Cor’s path to Gladio was cut off when a whistle echoed through the courtyard and the entire Royal Lucian Marching Band entered the space, their accompaniment livening up Gladio’s performance. Striking a pose, Gladio danced his way across the top of the planter, easily jumping the small gap to the next one and not sounding the slightest bit breathless as he kept singing.

Enthralled by the way that Gladio was singing to _him,_ and risking complete and utter embarrassment in front of the entire Crownsguard without making it obvious that Ignis was involved, Ignis actually felt weak in the knees as he watched and listened to Gladio.

All he could do was laugh when Gladio dropped down to sit on the edge of the planter, his glee obvious on his face even from a distance. “Trust in me when I say…

“Oh pretty baby!” Gladio sang, jumping back to his feet and continuing his half-dance, half-run across the planters. Cor had pushed his way through the band and was quickly approaching, but Gladio didn’t seem to care. “Don’t bring me down, I pray!”

His heart was pounding so loudly that it was almost drowning out the sound of Gladio’s voice, and Ignis actually had to reach out and steady himself on the shoulder of the woman next to him. She barely seemed to notice, too caught up in the spectacle, and Ignis looked around to see people crowded around nearly every visible window to see what was happening.

Ignis already knew what the answer was when Gladio sat back down on the planter and crooned, “Let me love you.” He’d embarrassed himself in front of a few Glaives and Gladio, but Gladio had made sure that no one would even _remember_ what had happened two days before. From the amount of camera phones pointed in Gladio’s direction, Ignis was fairly sure that his performance would be the talk of the Citadel for _weeks._

No one had ever put so much on the line for Ignis, and all the emotions he’d tried to suppress came bursting out at once as Gladio declared his feelings in front of the entire Citadel.

Well, almost the entire Citadel. Noctis and Prompto were going to be _furious_ that they’d missed the whole thing while at school.

In any case, when Cor ran up on Gladio and grabbed his arm, yanking him to his feet, Ignis joined the rest of the spectators in cheering and clapping. He supposed he’d misread Gladio’s intentions, and he was determined to make up for it- and to give Gladio a proper chance.

If this was what Gladio was willing to do over one bad date, maybe Ignis didn’t have to worry so much about them being torn apart.

Although Gladio had clearly let himself be caught by Cor, the cheering seemed to re-energise him and he broke free of the iron grip on his arm, taking off across the planters again with Cor in hot pursuit. The band kept playing as Gladio danced back and forth, barely avoiding Cor at times, and the music only trailed off when Gladio dove through an open window and disappeared, Cor vaulting in after him.

Sinking to the ground, Ignis couldn’t hide his big, dumb grin as everyone around him chattered excitedly, the marching band slowly filing out of the courtyard while the spectators drifted away.

He wasn’t exactly a fan of extravagant gestures but he appreciated the way that Gladio put himself out there in front of everyone, and there was only one way Ignis could repay him:

Find Gladio, save him from whatever punishment Cor had surely inflicted upon him, and take him out on a _real_ date.

* * *

As bad as being made to file several years of ignored Crownsguard documents was, Gladio knew the whole thing had been worth it.

Any punishment was worth the look of absolute amusement that had been on Ignis’ face, even one that involved being shoved in a tiny room and made to sort out the piles of boxes that were teetering dangerously all around.

He’d been expecting to be yelled at but Cor had barely even spoken as he’d marched Gladio to his punishment, although the anger coming off him was palpable. He was going to be working that one off for a while, but he’d do it all over again if it meant Ignis had a smile on his face.

Humming the damn song to himself as he finished one box and started another, Gladio nearly had a heart attack when the door suddenly opened. Whipping around, he froze when he saw Ignis leaning against the doorframe, a soft smile on his face.

“That was quite the performance.”

“I’m glad you liked it.” Standing up and dusting off his hands, Gladio hesitated to move closer. Ignis didn’t seem to be mad anymore, but he didn’t want to push his luck. “You know, Cor will kill us both if he catches you here.”

“No, he won’t,” Ignis said, his smile widening. “Training got cancelled after all that ruckus, so I went to see King Regis and he gave us both the day off. Said he hadn’t laughed that much in years, and we should go be young for a while.”

“And my dad?”

“He figured you were up to something much worse when you asked him to mess with the training programs, so he didn’t seem mad. He’s collecting as much video footage as possible, though.”

“Of course he is,” Gladio sighed, but he was grinning. “Does that mean I’m allowed outta here?”

“I promised I’d keep you under my supervision, so…”

“So?” Gladio asked, trying not to jump to exciting conclusions. But Ignis looked so happy to see him that it was hard to stay contained, and he was sending silent prayers to every Astral he thought might help.

“So I thought we could go out for lunch, and maybe spend some time in the city together?”

“Like...a date?” Eagerly leaning forward to hear the answer, Gladio almost cheered when Ignis nodded shyly. “I’d love to.”

“After that performance, I’m glad to hear it.” Ignis hesitated for a moment and then held out his hand, the tension going out of his shoulders when Gladio took it. Whispers followed them as they walked through the Citadel together, a few people congratulating them or smacking them on the back, and Gladio felt like he was going to explode with pride.

It had been a stupid plan, a complete ass-pull that he didn’t even think would actually work, but it _had._ And now he had another chance at a date with Ignis, and he wasn’t going to let this one go sideways.

Heading out onto the street, their conversation was mostly light while Gladio led the way to Ignis’ favourite cafe. Ignis brightened up further when he saw their destination, greeting the server and the barista by name.

“I’m glad you’re not embarrassed to be seen with me,” Ignis said after they’d ordered, sitting at a sun-lit table by the window. “I thought...after what happened on the weekend…”

“Iggy, you could have thrown up on the king and you’d still be better than I deserve.”

Ignis frowned, reaching across the table to squeeze Gladio’s hand. “Don’t say that. I’m nothing special, but _you..._ you’re something else.”

“I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree.” Holding onto Ignis’ hand until their drinks arrived, Gladio marvelled in how easy it was to talk to Ignis. Of course, it wasn’t like dealing with his friend was ever a struggle, but things felt far more natural than they had right before the gala. Ignis seemed far less closed off, smiling and laughing easier than usual, and Gladio felt so warm and overwhelmingly happy.

Ignis was everything he’d ever wanted, and he so desperately hoped this was the start of something beautiful.

After lunch they wandered through the city, starting in one of Insomnia’s parks and enjoying the sunshine as they lightly debated a book they’d both read. Gladio didn’t agree with Ignis’ opinion, but their disagreement was friendly and neither of them felt put out by it.

Gladio thought that Ignis looked stunning without his responsibilities weighing him down, his posture relaxed, his jacket left behind and his collar loosened. He had a bad habit of looking far older than he actually was, and it was nice to have a reminder that Ignis was actually younger than him and had so much to look forward to.

“Gladio? You in there?”

“Hm?” Gladio asked, belatedly realising that Ignis had been talking to him. “Sorry, what was that?”

“I was wondering what you wanted to do next, but you were just staring at me with a goofy smile on your face.” Ignis was smiling as well, and so Gladio couldn’t even begin to be embarrassed.

“I got distracted by how beautiful you are.”

“Oh,” Ignis said, going bright red. Gladio desperately wanted to kiss him, but he doubted that it really was the time or the place. Squeezing Ignis’ hand, he pointed down the road.

“Do you want to visit the arcade? Waste some money, see who’s got the better skills?” Gladio winked at Ignis and was glad to get a challenging look in return, Ignis’ competitive spirit coming out in full force.

“I hope you’re ready to lose.”

“Never have, never will,” Gladio crowed and the pair of them headed for the arcade, the afternoon early enough that it wasn’t yet filled up with students. Despite his boasting, Gladio wasn’t surprised when Ignis beat him at a shooting game, although he got his own back during a racing game. He also took the basketball game, but the rhythm games were a complete wipeout in Ignis’ favour.

It definitely didn’t help that Gladio kept getting distracted by the way that Ignis’ long, lean legs moved, but he actually preferred them being more even than him winning everything. He liked to be kept on his toes, and Ignis brought out the best in him by making him want to be better.

He wasn’t even embarrassed when Ignis tutted at his poor attempts on the crane machine, taking over and immediately winning a stuffed behemoth that he presented to Gladio with a flourish. Pretending to be bashful, Gladio accepted the present and held it close to his chest, giving Ignis a quick hug to say thank you.

It wasn’t all he wanted to do, but he couldn’t exactly dip Ignis in the middle of the slowly-filling arcade.

Instead he gestured for Ignis to follow him to the next floor, which was crowded with photo booth machines. The pair of them got a few looks from the women and girls who made up the majority of the people on that floor, but otherwise they were left alone as they set up at an empty booth.

“Really?” Ignis asked while Gladio organised their shoot, but he didn’t actually seem reluctant.

“I have to document the day that Ignis Scientia wagged training and actually went on a date with me.” Placing his hand on the small of Ignis’ back, Gladio guided him into the booth and set the camera to start.

Although he’d been planning to at least do the first picture properly, once the curtain was closed behind them Gladio couldn’t resist the temptation of a semi-private space. The first picture flashed right as Gladio pressed his lips to Ignis’ cheek but he had no idea when the rest went off, not when Ignis had gasped and turned to meet Gladio’s lips with his own.

Aware of their surroundings, Gladio didn’t let things get _too_ heated, reluctantly pulling away when the machine beeped to remind them to leave the booth. At least Ignis seemed equally reluctant to part, and their hands remained firmly clasped as they moved outside again and quickly skipped through the editing stage.

When their photos were eventually spat out, they weren’t particularly well-composed but Gladio didn’t care at all. Having a tangible reminder of their first kiss was better than he could have imagined, and he tucked one copy in his pocket while holding the other out to Ignis.

Ignis couldn’t seem to take his eyes off the pictures, smiling down at them and biting his lip. He eventually put them in the chest pocket of his shirt, although Gladio noticed that his hand kept drifting up to make sure they were still there.

“Hey, I was thinking,” Gladio started, his heart pounding and his hand feeling sweaty in Ignis’. “Do you want to maybe...come back to my place?”

Ignis stared at him with wide eyes, his voice hesitant. “I...I’ve never…”

“We don’t have to do anything!” Gladio said, his voice louder than he’d intended. “I just thought you might like to hang out somewhere without all these people, watch a movie or something? I never want you to feel uncomfortable with me, Iggy.”

“I never do,” Ignis smiled. Gladio went breathless and hung his head, smiling helplessly at Ignis.

“I like you _so much,_ Ignis Scientia.”

“Well, Gladiolus Amicitia, you’re not the only one. Shall we?”

The walk back to Gladio’s apartment felt more charged than before, although it still wasn’t awkward. Determined not to push Ignis further than he was comfortable with, Gladio still hoped for a few more kisses despite knowing that the pleasure of Ignis’ company alone was more than enough. Ignis was intoxicating and addictive, and Gladio was happy to fall.

For the first time, things felt a little awkward when they were alone in Gladio’s apartment. Thankfully Gladio knew how to make things better, as he was already well-versed in Ignis’ weaknesses. “Coffee?”

“I’d kill for one,” Ignis smiled, and Gladio got the odd feeling that he was only half joking. Still, he led the way to the kitchen, and the pair of them sat at the counter as they waited for it to brew.

“I had fun today,” Ignis said, his long fingers tracing idle patterns on the countertop. Gladio was entranced, but he managed to make the right noises at the right moments until the coffee machine announced the end of its cycle.

Gladio passed the first mug to Ignis, who clasped it in both hands and made the _sexiest_ sound Gladio had ever heard when he took a drink.

“ _Fuck,”_ Gladio breathed as he busied himself fixing his own cup, adding milk and sugar to cut down on the bitterness. Taking a deep breath and trying to calm himself down, he eventually managed to face Ignis again, returning to his seat at the counter and turning so that their legs gently collided.

“We have to do this again,” he said, taking a drink.

“We do.” If Ignis had more to say, it was cut off by the sound of frantic knocking at the door.

“Oh, _c’mon,”_ Gladio groaned, putting his mug down and standing up. “Sorry, give me a minute.”

Of all the people who could have interrupted his date, he really should have guessed that it would have been Noctis and Prompto. At least he figured they’d be easy to get rid of, and he used his bulk to block the doorway while lifting an eyebrow at them. “What do you want?”

“We’ve been looking for you everywhere!” Noctis said, sounding exasperated as he pushed past Gladio into the apartment, apparently unconcerned by the fact that Gladio was obviously trying to keep them out. Prompto was more polite, apologising as he slipped through the gap that Noctis had made, but both of them ignored Gladio’s protests. “We were thinking about what you said yesterday.”

“Look, that’s great, but-” Gladio said, only to be completely ignored.

“It was gross and selfish of me to make you ask Specs out just so I could have my own date.”

The sound of porcelain smashing on the ground in his kitchen made Gladio’s heart sink, the rapidly approaching footsteps seeming like a death knell for the relationship he’d barely managed to begin with Ignis.

“You fucking idiot,” was all he got about before Ignis appeared, all furious anger and fire.

“You did _what?”_

“Iggy, no, I really do like-”

“I didn’t mean it like that-”

“I thought you actually _liked_ me, but I suppose I’m a fool,” Ignis hissed, and Gladio was horrified to see wetness appearing in his eyes.

“I _do-”_

“Don’t bother.” Drawing himself up to his full height, his posture dignified even as he shook with pain and anger, Ignis gave Gladio the kind of look that made him wish he would spontaneously combust on the spot. “You don’t need to pretend anymore.”

Shoving his way past Gladio, Ignis quickly disappeared down the hallway and into the stairwell, leaving the other three standing in the entrance of Gladio’s apartment.

“Gladio, I didn’t know, I’m so sorry, I-”

“Get out,” Gladio said, glaring at Noctis and Prompto and their perfect little puppy love.

“We-” Noctis started, Prompto smart enough to stay quiet.

“GET OUT!” Gladio yelled, and perhaps he’d feel bad about yelling at Noctis and Prompto later. Right then and there, though, all he could focus on was the stabbing pain in his chest and the memory of the agony in Ignis’ eyes.

Slamming the door behind the other two as they ran out of the apartment, Gladio slumped heavily against the door and slowly sank to the floor, their pictures burning a hole in his pocket.


	6. I want you to want me, I need you to need me

The atmosphere in the car was horribly tense, but Ignis didn’t care enough to even try to make it better.

He supposed he should be glad that Noctis and Prompto had alerted him to Gladio’s intentions, regardless of how accidental it had been, but a part of him wished that he’d been allowed to enjoy at least _one_ day with Gladio.

Still, a larger part of him was glad that he hadn’t slept with a man who didn’t actually like him. He didn’t put much stock in virginity but he at least though he’d like to have sex with someone who was attracted to him, rather than someone who was going out with him because Noctis had asked.

Because that had been the crux of it, really: he would have slept with Gladio if things had headed in that direction and he wouldn’t have hesitated for a moment over it. Gladio had been the perfect man- or he’d pretended to be, at least. He’d wormed his way under Ignis’ defences, making him toss his common sense aside, and for what?

So that Noctis could go on a date.

At least he’d gotten his godsdamned date, Ignis thought bitterly when he looked in the rearview mirror, seeing how obviously and suspiciously Noctis and Prompto were sitting apart. They couldn’t have been broadcasting their budding relationship more if they’d actually _tried,_ and Ignis might have been happy for them if it hadn’t come at his own expense.

But he was mad at Noctis, angry at Gladio for going along with it, and furious at King Regis for setting the whole thing in motion in the first place.

Apparently the pair in the backseat could tell that Ignis was nursing severely hurt feelings, because instead of the usual ruckus they caused whenever they were together they sat silently, Noctis staring out the window and Prompto looking down at his hands. At first the quiet was appreciated, but after it continued into the apartment with the two of them going straight to the dining table to do their homework, Ignis began to feel antsy.

It wasn’t _natural_ for the apartment to be so quiet, devoid of any sort of life or joy. It reminded him a little too much of what Noctis had been like before the three of them had pulled him back out of his shell, and with a heavy sigh Ignis sat down the knife he’d been using to chop vegetables and walked out of the kitchen.

Prompto looked up at him when he walked over to the table but quickly looked away, suddenly becoming incredibly interested in his open textbook. Noctis’ shoulders were practically up around his ears, and he only got more sheepish when Ignis took the seat at the head of the table, one of the boys on either side of him.

“So,” he said, and that opened the floodgates. If they hadn’t been sitting down, Ignis thought that Prompto might have thrown himself to the ground, but instead he leaned over the table towards Ignis.

“I’m so sorry! Noct told me to give you space but I’m _sorry_ and I’ll do whatever I can to make this better.”

Looking at Prompto’s face, Ignis could easily see the sincerity there. He nodded and tried not to look too threatening, not wanting Prompto to feel any worse than he obviously already did. “Thank you, Prompto. I won’t lie and tell you I’m not hurt, but I accept your apology and I forgive you.”

“You’re too good for this world,” Prompto said, sounding awed. Ignis used his hand to hide a tiny smile- he wasn’t sure if he agreed with the sentiment, but he appreciated it. Prompto was a sweet kid and Ignis should have known that he couldn’t stay mad at him.

Noctis either, when all was said and done.

“I’m sorry too,” Noctis said, and Ignis’ heart almost broke all over again at how serious he looked and sounded. “I fucked up, and I’ll fix it.”

“I think it might be best if you leave my love life alone from now on, but I forgive you as well. Although...” Hesitating, Ignis wondered how to bring up the thought that had been torturing him since the day before. “Why Gladio?”

Noctis and Prompto glanced at each other, Noctis waving Prompto down when Prompto went to speak. “It was my idea, I’ll explain.”

Turning back to Ignis, Noctis picked at a loose thread in his sleeve. “When we were talking about dating, you seemed really sad. I wanted to date but I wanted you to have some fun too, and you and Gladio seemed like a really good match.”

“We didn’t know how much he liked you when we asked, I promise,” Prompto interjected, and Ignis stared at him.

“He _what?”_

“I guess he never said we couldn’t tell you, not that it matters now someone opened his mouth,” Noctis said, and there was the sound of a brief scuffle that Ignis assumed meant Noctis and Prompto were trying to kick each other under the table.

“He really likes you,” Prompto said, apparently winning the fight under the table. “Pretty sure that’s the only reason he agreed to the whole thing.”

“He could have asked me out of his own volition,” Ignis said, feeling doubtful. He remembered too well how it felt to have heard those words from Gladio’s mouth, only to be torn back down when the whole plan had been revealed to him. It hurt less if he told himself that the whole thing had been a lie.

“He didn’t think you liked him back,” Prompto shrugged, tapping his fingers on the table. “I know how that feels.”

As Ignis watched, Prompto and Noctis made eye contact and then looked away, their expressions bashful. Feeling calmer now- not entirely, but some- Ignis didn’t hate it as much as before. They made a cute pair, and he already knew he’d fight for them.

“Doesn’t everyone like Gladio?” Ignis said instead of voicing those thoughts, glad when both boys laughed.

“That’s what I said,” Noctis pointed out, although he sobered up immediately. “He wasn’t trying to hurt you, and he really did want to date you. Don’t...don’t hate him for this.”

“I won’t,” Ignis said, and he meant it. He was still hurting but forgiving Gladio already felt far more likely than it had the previous day. If he’d been put in a situation where Noctis had given him the push he’d needed to ask Gladio out, he couldn’t say for sure that he would have been able to resist. “You shouldn’t have manipulated me like this, though.”

“I know, and I’m so sorry, Specs.”

Noctis had been trying to do the right thing, even if he’d gone about it the wrong way, and Ignis knew that they had to address the root cause of the problem before they could put it behind them.

“Noctis?”

“Yeah?”

“I think we need to speak with your father.”

* * *

“Any idea what this is about?” Clarus asked, making Regis sigh.

“I have my suspicions,” Regis said. He rubbed at his aching leg and relaxed at the feeling of Clarus’ hand on the back of his neck, leaning back into the touch. Ignis had called him the night before and asked him to rearrange his schedule, and Regis had managed to do just that for his son, cancelling everything that wasn’t vital.

He’d been warned that they were on their way, Clarus snatching his hand back to himself when the door opened. It was probably time for them to come clean, but the timing had never felt right.

Still, keeping something so big from their sons was wrong, and guilt hit Regis hard.

Ignis was the first one into the room, Noctis behind him and- Regis’ heart sank when he saw the boy trailing along with Noctis, their hands firmly linked together. Prompto looked like he wanted to sink into the floor and disappear, but Regis appreciated the way that he was there for Noctis.

Even if this was exactly what he’d tried to avoid.

“Your Maj-”

“Dad,” Noctis interrupted Ignis’ greeting, “Your rule was stupid and this is my boyfriend.”

“Ignis, does this mean that Gladio’s performance worked?”

“I’d rather not, Your Majesty.” Ignis said. He looked upset enough that Regis let it go, turning his attention back to Noctis.

“I told you, dad, your rule was fucking stupid.”

“Ah,” Regis said, trying not laugh at the way that both Ignis and Prompto now looked like they wanted to cover Noctis’ mouth. “Sit, please.”

The three did as requested, Noctis still clutching Prompto’s hand, and Regis didn’t care that his son had deliberately broken one of the few rules he actually had. It reminded him too much of telling his own father that he wanted to be with Clarus, which had caused a rift that had never truly healed; he never wanted the same thing to happen with him and Noctis.

He’d been trying to keep his son from inevitable hurt, but he should have known that it would never work. Noctis was too much like himself to be kept from what he wanted.

“What’s happened?”

There was silence, only broken when Ignis eventually sat forward and spoke. “I mean no disrespect to you both, but your sons used me to fulfil the conditions of your rule.”

“Noctis,” Regis said, keeping his voice level. “What’s the story here?”

Sighing, Noctis purposefully avoided eye contact as he started to speak. “I told Gladio to ask Ignis out so that I could date.”

“And my son agreed to that?” Clarus said. Regis could tell that he was outraged, but it was hidden well enough that the other three didn’t seem to notice.

“I made him do it,” Noctis immediately said, jumping to his shield’s defence. “He really does like Specs, and he didn’t want anyone getting hurt.”

“He should still know better.” Frowning, Clarus only calmed down when Regis put a grounding hand on his shoulder.

“I believe the responsibility for this lies solely on my shoulders, Clarus.” Sitting up straighter, Regis looked over the three boys in front of him. Noctis, looking defiant and more grown up than Regis would have liked of his only child; Prompto, holding onto Noctis’ hand like a lifeline; Ignis, the weight of the world weighing him down.

But there was one missing.

“Call your son, please. I think it’s time for us to explain.” He emphasised the last word, Clarus looking at him with raised eyebrows.

“Are you sure?”

“Entirely.”

* * *

Gladio had been expecting the worst when his father had urgently summoned him up to King Regis’ private floors, not to find his friends awkwardly lined up on a couch in front of the king and his shield.

That morning he’d received heartfelt apologies for what had happened at his apartment but still couldn’t help the flash of irritation he felt at seeing Noctis and Prompto, even though he blamed himself for giving in to a stupid plan more than anything else. Ignis wasn’t looking at him and he’d have to fix that, but in front of the king wasn’t the place for that discussion.

“Uh, hey,” he said cautiously, bowing to Regis.

“Gladio, always good to see you,” Regis smiled, beckoning Gladio in. “Come, sit.”

It wasn’t an easy fit but he sat next to Prompto, his eyebrows jumping when he saw the hands Prompto and Noctis had joined together. Maybe he hadn’t wandered into a worst case scenario, but he didn’t think it would be an easy ride.

At least his dad and Regis didn’t seem pissed off.

“That was a rather enchanting performance you put on the other day,” Regis said, a smile on his face. Gladio scratched at his head and glanced at Ignis, who was looking straight ahead.

“It...came from the heart, Your Majesty.”

“No need to pretend like we’ve ever used formalities, Gladio.” Regis smiled at him like he’d passed some sort of test, and Gladio immediately felt more at ease.

“Thank Bahamut for that. How’s the leg, Regis?”

“About as cranky as your old man,” Regis replied as he nudged Clarus with his elbow. Clarus crossed his arms and frowned, but he didn’t actually seem irritated. The tension in the room had dissipated some, although Prompto seemed like he was five seconds from passing out.

“That aside,” Regis said, speaking in his usual way that commanded the attention of everyone who was listening, “I believe I have some explaining to do. And some apologising.

“Gladiolus, I’m sorry that you got pulled into a mess. My son wouldn’t have done this if I hadn’t given him the new rule, and I should really have expected this outcome.” Taking a deep breath, Regis turning his attention to Ignis. “And Ignis, I should never have included you in the equation. I hope you both can forgive me, and I hope that this hasn’t soured your relationship at all.”

“Thank you,” Ignis murmured, and Gladio did the same. For the first time since Gladio had entered the room, Ignis met his eyes over the top of Noctis and Prompto, and although Gladio couldn’t see forgiveness there he also didn’t see the unbridled hatred he’d been dreading.

“Now, Noctis. I didn’t think that you were so serious about dating, and I miscalculated. But the rules are here to protect you.”

“Doesn’t seem that way,” Noctis muttered. Regis made a ‘fair enough’ expression, and Gladio sat back to watch what would happen next.

“When I was your age, I realised that the love of my life was right in front of me.”

Gladio’s first instinct was to find out whether Noctis had already known that, but the look on his face made it clear that he hadn’t.

“Much like you will be, I was given an arranged marriage. I was lucky that your mother was a friend of mine, and I loved her; but I wasn’t _in_ love with her, nor her with I.” Noctis moved closer to Prompto at the mention of his late mother, but there was nothing new in what Regis had said. Gladio hadn’t held any romantic illusions about his own parents’ marriage, much less that of the king and queen.

“When my father found out that I was in love with someone I couldn’t marry, he tried to force us apart. It ruined our relationship, and there was nothing but pain in being forced to marry someone else while he did the same.”

“ _He?”_ Noctis burst out, and Gladio’s eye for detail was already ticking into action. There were only a few men he could think of that fit the bill, and one seemed more likely than the rest.

“He,” Regis confirmed, nodding firmly. “I was in a lot of pain for a very long time after we parted, and I didn’t want you to feel the same. It was only due to luck that we repaired our relationship, though I believe it was bad luck for us both to lose our wives.”

“You-” Gladio said, and glancing across he saw that Ignis had put the pieces together as well.

“I’m sorry we didn’t tell you,” Regis said. He took a long, steadying breath and then reached across, taking Clarus’ hand in his own and mirroring his own son’s pose. “Even now, it’s not easy for us to talk about being together without fear of being forced apart again.”

Gladio’s heart was pounding in his chest, his eyes stuck on the way his father’s hand was intertwined with Regis’. He’d never even _considered_ the possibility, and now he felt like a fool. He wasn’t sure what to think, but he knew that Noctis probably wasn’t going to react well.

And he didn’t.

“So, what? You’re a hypocrite who wants to control my life?” Shaking off Prompto’s hand and the attempts to calm him down, Noctis flew to his feet. “I won’t make the same mistakes you did.”

“You don’t know that,” Regis said calmly, not that it helped.

“I know that I’m not _you,”_ Noctis snarled. Gladio could tell that things were building to a point that Noctis wouldn’t be able to back down from, and before that could happen he reached over and tugged Noctis back into his seat.

“Noct,” he said, glad when Ignis and Prompto helped keep Noctis still. “Breathe.”

“This old _bast-”_

“ _Noctis,”_ Ignis said sharply. That had more of an effect than Gladio’s words had, and although Noctis was still visibly angry he made an effort to control it.

“I apologise to you as well, Noctis, Prompto,” Regis said. “I made a mistake, and so I won’t stop you if you’re aware of the risks. You _will_ have to marry but I won’t interfere in the interim.”

“I need to go,” Noctis said. Shaking off the hands holding him, he walked out of the room, seeming shaky and unsettled. Prompto was obviously torn between staying and leaving, but the decision was made for him when Regis smiled sadly at him.

“I’m also sorry that you got caught up in this, Prompto. I think my son could use your company right now.”

“Y-yes!” Prompto said loudly, jumping to his feet. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Awkwardly half-bowing, half-running away, Prompto quickly followed Noctis out of the room.

“That could have gone better,” Clarus said, and Gladio scoffed.

“You think?” His own feelings were still a confusing mess, but he couldn’t begrudge his father any happiness he’d found. “I wish you’d told me, but you had your reasons. Noct’ll see that too.”

“They were reasons, but they weren’t good ones.” Regis got to his feet. “I’m sorry to leave you, but duty calls.”

Standing up as well, both Gladio and Ignis bowed to Regis, who waved them down. “Boys, please. I don’t deserve any respect from you right now.”

“You were trying to do good, just like your son,” Ignis said, Gladio’s attention snapping to him. “I think I’m overstepping, but I need to know: are you happy?”

“Pardon?” Regis asked.

“Yourself and Lord Amicitia. Are you happy now?”

“I…” Regis said, looking at Clarus and then smiling. “Yes. I suppose I shouldn’t have tried to keep my son from eventual happiness, no matter how painful and difficult it was to get here. I think it might be time to re-evaluate some things.”

“For what it’s worth, I’m happy for you,” Gladio spoke up. His father looked unspeakably proud, and Gladio stepped forward to briefly hug him. “Thank you for telling us.”

“Don’t let him go,” Clarus whispered in Gladio’s ear. “Fight for him.”

“I will,” Gladio whispered back, releasing his father and stepping back. “And if you don’t come home tonight, I’ll know why.”

“That sounds like permission to me, Clarus,” Regis said with a grin, so very reminiscent of Noctis’. “One out of three is a good place to start.”

Shaking his head, Clarus turned to leave the room, Regis giving one last quick goodbye and following along. The comfortable atmosphere in the room left with them, and Gladio shifted awkwardly as he wondered whether to try and talk to Ignis or not.

“I apologise for intruding on what should have been a private moment,” Ignis finally spoke up, making Gladio’s decision for him.

Shaking his head, Gladio turned to face Ignis properly, although Ignis didn’t do the same. “I don’t mind. I’m actually kind of glad you’re here.”

“Oh?” Ignis said, turning slightly in Gladio’s direction.

“Yeah. I wanted to apologise for not being upfront with you: I really _did_ want to date you, but I should have told you what Noctis was up to. It wasn’t fair to you, and I get it if you don’t want to see me again.”

Ignis took a long moment to consider the words, obviously turning them over in his head. Whether he was aware of it or not, he was turning more to face Gladio, and Gladio’s heart jumped when their eyes met. “Past tense.”

Tilting his head a little, Gladio made a questioning noise that had Ignis explaining himself. “You said you did want to date me, past tense. Has all this chaos made you change your mind?”

“I...no,” Gladio admitted, crossing his arms over his chest and then changing his mind, opening his posture and shoving his hands into his pockets. “I had so much fun with you on our date, and I want to take you on more.”

Ignis nodded slowly, and then he gestured to the couch they were still standing in front of. “Sit with me.”

Taking the invitation, Gladio angled himself so that he could watch Ignis, Ignis doing much the same. He decided to wait for Ignis to break the silence again, not wanting to push him harder than he was comfortable with. It took longer than he was expecting, but Ignis sighed and let his head hang.

“There’s a reason why I never asked you out before, and why it hurt so much when you chased me just to toss me aside.” Gladio went to protest but cut himself off when Ignis held up a hand, continuing with his thought. “I know that wasn’t what you meant, but it felt that way.”

“I’m sorry,” Gladio said.

“I know,” Ignis shot back, Gladio relieved to see him smiling faintly. “You’re much the same as Noct, aren’t you? Expected to get married and continue your line?”

Realisation dawning, Gladio sat forward and thanked his lucky stars for the conversation they’d both been witness to. “That’s traditionally the way, but...after what we just saw? I don’t know how much of a worry that’ll be, because I think Regis and my dad would try to avoid what happened to them. My bloodline isn’t quite as important as Noct’s, anyway, and I have a sister and a bunch of cousins.”

“That’s why I never asked you out,” Ignis admitted. “I’ve liked you for years, but I was scared of being hurt- scared of exactly what happened to the king and your father, I suppose.”

Gladio’s heart was crawling up into his throat and he swallowed hard, his mouth and throat feeling dry. Ignis _liked_ him, and from the way they were managing to talk to each other, maybe things hadn’t been completely ruined.

“But I had fun with you, too. If Noct is willing to take a chance on love, I can’t let him show me up.”

“That wouldn’t reflect well on either of us,” Gladio agreed faintly, stuck on the word love’. Ignis smiled but it dropped quickly, his hands twitching where they were sitting on top of his crossed legs.

“I’m still feeling the sting of what happened, though. I need to know that I can trust you.”

“You can,” Gladio assured him, his earnestness splashed all over his face and voice. “I would never have agreed to Noct’s stupid idea if I hadn’t already liked you, and I’ll cherish you for as long as you’ll have me.”

“So that’s your word, then?” Ignis seemed lighter than he had all day, and Gladio felt himself relax.

“It’s a promise,” Gladio said seriously, though there was humour behind it, “that I’ll never let you down again.”

“Sealed with a kiss?” Ignis asked coyly, and Gladio shifted in as close as he could, their knees knocking together.

“Of course,” he said, leaning forward enough to let Ignis close the gap, their kiss sparking with soft, loving intimacy. Not wanting to get too heated in King Regis’ parlour, Gladio squeezed Ignis’ thigh and pulled back, smiling helplessly at how happy Ignis looked in return.

“So,” Gladio said, sitting up straight and holding his hand out. “You got any plans right now?”

“Well,” Ignis said, lifting an eyebrow and considering Gladio’s hand, “I’m sure my grumpy charge is off making out with his boyfriend to feel better, so I think I might have a free evening. I think his father could use some time with him, as well.”

Tucking his hand into Gladio’s, Ignis smiled shyly and squeezed, lifting their joined palms so that he could kiss Gladio’s hand. His expression changed as he looked up at Gladio through his eyelashes, though, becoming something more sly.

“I’m going to expect bigger, better performances on special occasions, though.”

“I’ll start practicing- both my singing and to outrun Cor,” Gladio said with an exaggerated sigh, laughing when Ignis did and unable to tear his gaze away from Ignis’ joyful expression.

Joking or not, there was nothing he wouldn’t do for Ignis Scientia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for sticking around, folks! I hope you had a nice time with my silly little gay romcom, and thank you to everyone who read and kudosed with an extra big thank you to everyone who commented! I really appreciate it.
> 
> My next fic starts next weekend, look out for it!

**Author's Note:**

> Come see me on [Tumblr](http://socialdegenerate.tumblr.com) or [Twitter](http://twitter.com/socialdegener8)


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